


Dawning

by J-Bfan (Mysterie), JackfrostTruefrost300



Series: Mortal Guardians [15]
Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Cussing, Desire, F/M, Family, Fun, Love, M/M, Mind Control, Multi, Non-consent, Older Jamie, Selfishness, Spirit Jamie, friends - Freeform, greed - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-22 11:33:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 27,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4833791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysterie/pseuds/J-Bfan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackfrostTruefrost300/pseuds/JackfrostTruefrost300
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Birthdays, trips gone awry.... it's just another day in paradise for Jack, Mysterie, Jamie and their children as they face new unfriendlies along the way even as they deal with the drama that comes with dealing with children who are too smart and curious for their own good.</p><p>[15th Installment] Sequel to Nonage</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Independence and a Birthday

"Not entirely, although you do have a way of making things amusing... it is your center, no?" She chuckles a little. Jack glares at her as he holds Brianna only to suddenly be dog piled by the children though he can't make any sounds other than an "oof" of air; he then realizes he probably should have stayed on the chair... The children giggle and Jack rolls over as they hang onto him, one has a hold of his hair and look of pain crosses his features and he almost manages a whine.

"Hey! No pulling hair!" Mysterie disentangles the little fingers from Jack's hair.

"Just because he can't speak doesn't mean you can be mean to him." Luke climbs onto the chair and jumps from it, landing square on Jack's jewels as Mysterie is setting Noah down. Jack makes a silent "OH!" of screaming and rolls on the floor, curling up and silently crying. Mysterie picks up Luke, swatting him.

"No! We do NOT do that!" Andrew winces in sympathy. Jack doesn't move for a long moment, panting is the only noise to be heard now. Jack manages to write on the board: He broke it... I think he neutered me!

Jack then passes out from the unbearable pain; both Andrew and Mysterie wince. She takes Jack out of the room while Andrew watches the munchkins. She's pretty sure that Luke landing on him can't neuter him, painful as it might be... She calls for Jamie to help with the pain as she fixes the damage. Jack is out for the entire thing; meanwhile Brianna hops around the nursery.

"Bunny! Hop hop hop!" Mysterie sighs a little as she looks at Jamie.

"Probably for the best... for now. Won't really affect his ability to function any, just probably should refrain from... well, you know." Jamie nods. Jack wakes an hour later, his groin in serious pain; Jamie gently numbs the area with his power as he senses Jack waking up. Jack writes on an ice board that he forms a second time: What happened?

"Ah... the little devil cakes decided it was a good idea to try out a wrestling move on you and landed on a spot you really don't want anyone landing on..." Jack rubs his head, writing again:  Why was he doing that? 

Jamie shrugs.

"He's a kid. He'll grow out of it when he gets older." Jack breathes out for a minute or two, even with the pain numbed he still felt a little bit of it; Jamie gently rubs one hand along one of Jack's arms in a gesture of comfort. Jack hugs him.

 _"Speaking of the devil cakes... where is the one we call Luke?"_ He asks over the bond.

"Being taught why he shouldn't jump from chairs." Jack lays back.

 

 

_"So what's the damage?"_

"Nothing permanent, according to Mysterie." Jack sighs in relief.

_"Crap, there's a Fourth of July meeting... we do Fourth of July every year..."_

"Hmmm, well we can probably get Andrew to babysit." Jack nods.

_"Hope he's prepared for the little terrors then... or should I say terror twins."_

"Yeah... me too." Jack sighs.

 _"They'll be calling us soon."_ Jamie nods and Jack realizes he needs to tell Mysterie about the meeting over the bond; she is currently keeping the kiddos in line as they play.

_"Mysterie, we got a meeting with the Guardians on Fourth of July."_

_"On the Fourth of July?"_ Jack gives a mental nod and explains that it's more celebrating, not just independence but Fourth's birthday as apparently he's a spirit. 

_"Huh, didn't know there was a spirit for that. Alright."_

_"Andrew will be watching the kids."_ Jack says, meanwhile Billy finally emerges from his new room; happier than he's ever been. Mysterie nods a little and turns to see Billy in the hall.

"Hey there." He waves shyly. Jack suddenly realizes he's forgotten about Billy being there.

_"How about we bring the kids and everyone to the pole?"_

_"That's either a good idea or a disastrous one..."_ Mysterie replies back.

 _"Hey, come on... doesn't sound too bad."_  

 _"I'm not saying it sounded bad Jack, just that it could either be a good thing or a bad one..."_ Jack nods and with Jamie to help, he makes his way back to the nursery.

"Well, we have until the Fourth of July..."

 

 

"Until?" She replies, seeming confused as to what he means.

"To teach them proper manners and stuff." 

"Hmm..." Jack sits down for a moment.

"Gosh, I'm woozy." 

"Well, we can give it a shot..." Jack smiles.

"First things first, let's see how they eat at the dinner table." She nods and Jamie sets the table so that they can find out; he sends out a call to everyone once it's ready. Jack smiles as he picks up Luke and Randy while Mysterie has Noah and Brianna; it only takes a few seconds once they are at the table to make a mess, but Brianna seems to be a perfect little lady... Burping into a napkin and keeping her elbows off the table as well as managing to get more food in her mouth than on her bib... Her brothers obviously needed work; Mysterie is a little surprised at Brianna, but not at the fact that the boys make a perfect mess of themselves. Jack sighs.

"These three will need training." She nods, as does Jamie even as the three of them eat their own food; Andrew, who joined them, wisely says nothing. Billy, who sits next to him, also eats silently while Jack and Jamie slowly teach the boys table manners. Mysterie also does her best to help, though mostly by demonstration. Jack sighs, the whole thing sucks because they just wanted to build stuff with their mashed potatoes and gravy rather than eat it. Consequently, Mysterie takes away the mashed potatoes since the boys obviously don't want to eat them so much as play. Jack sighs through the whole process, which is agonizingly slow, but the boys begin to learn; Jamie is patient with them, just a little more so than Mysterie is as she ends up taking away other types of food the boys want to play with more than actually eat... The three set on eating baby corn and apples while Jack goes to the bathroom to inspect the "damage" for himself. Mysterie sighs a little, trying to find other items for the picky eaters to actually eat... as it turns out the boys loved chicken but didn't like anything else meat except turkey. Jamie helps her get them to try various things to figure out what they do and don't like so that way they could feed them when the time came without too much fuss. Andrew and Billy had long since left the table by the time the boys were full and the two of them had found several things that the boys liked to eat. Jamie leaves to comfort a weeping Jack while Mysterie cleans the children up; inwardly wincing at the feel of Jack's distress. Jack sighs as he flushes the toilet as Jamie is entering the room the bathroom is connected to. 

"When will they drop again... it's been two days now." 

"Don't worry about it, it won't affect anything vital." Jamie murmurs comfortingly; Jack nods and leans into the door.

"Gosh, I got to find clothes for the kids." 

"Why don't you leave that to me? You go relax a little hmmm?" Jack nods and collapses into the bed. Mysterie and Jamie go through the wardrobe for the kids after we've seen that they are all down for their naps. They figure out what each should wear a half hour later while Jack is trying to find what he wants to wear since every year it was a requirement to wear nice clothes to the celebration. Mysterie also finds something amidst the clothes that North had given them for when Andrew was living with them that is Billy's size and will suit him. Jack looks through several things, tossing aside each idea.

 


	2. Jungle Felines

"DAMN! I HAVE NOTHING!" Mysterie sends him a reassuring impression over the bond; Jack sighs.

"This is hard..." He says aloud.

 _"I'll help dearest."_ Mysterie replies over the bond.

 _"Thank you."_ He says before rolling over the bed, looking at the pile of clothes he's tossed on it. She appears in the room after a moment, tsking a little at the pile of clothes and sets up some matches while setting others back in their proper places. Jack sighs.

"Thanks."

"Any time love." Jack changes into the clothes she's picked out and looks in the mirror with a smile.

"Looks nice." She smiles and puts the rest away. Smiling, he turns to her.

"So how are the munchkins?"

"Down for the count, thankfully."

"Well, we could go for a little trip to India if you want." 

"Sounds like fun." Jack smiles.

"Let's go." She smiles back as he takes her hand and they leave the castle through the room's balcony. Jack flies them to a small town village, a wooden fence surrounds it to protect the villagers from tigers and other wild animals.

"Let's see what dress I can find you." She smiles a little as she follows him through the village. Jack looks at the various vendor shops.

"Come on, pick out a dress you like." 

"Goodness... quite the choice." She comments as she looks at the selections.

"Yes, yes they have quite the choices." She spends the next few minutes shifting through the dresses before she manages to narrow it down to just five. Jack smiles as he sees the green one, it makes him feel a little tight just imagining her in the dress.

"What about the green one?" He points to it among the five she's debating on. She looks at it then looks at the vender.

 

 

"There any place to try these on?" The vender points to a nearby hut and Jack sits down nearby, wanting to see her in the green one. She tries on all of the dresses, purposely saving the green one for last just because Jack had commented on it; he smiles at each one but it's obvious he likes the green the most. She comes back out after taking it off; rather pleased with the choice.

"Definitely the green." She puts the others back, discreetly slipping a note to the vender that she would be back at a later date for more dresses soon. Jack smiles and pays for the dress, the two then walk around fruit vendors, as well as those with beads and many other types of wares. She smiles, content as they explore the place; radiating her happiness off the bond.

"Look, elephant rides through the jungle! Let's go." Jack flies on top of one, not like anyone would notice if a couple of the elephants were gone since they were free range animals. Mysterie chuckles, following him; tucking the dress away in her sand, she's never ridden an elephant before and she settles lightly on the large animal. The beast rears a little for a second before walking off into the brush of the forest; Mysterie finds it's easy to keep her balance. Monkeys run by, trying to escape predators and the elephants; Mysterie enjoys the ride and the scenery around her. A macaw flies down onto Jack's shoulder followed by its three little chicks that land in his hoodie, causing him to jump. She chuckles a little at that.

"They like you."

"Do they have to be in my hoodie to show that?" The mother pecks Jack's ear.

"Ow." He rubs his ear as it nibbles at his hair.

"Ouch, it hurts... ouch." Mysterie uses some of her sand to gently dislodge the group, though they tweet and fly away save for one persistent little chick who nestles into his hair, making the mother come back to attack him.

"Ow! Ow! I didn't steal it!!" He struggles, falling off the elephant and into a mud pit. Mysterie lifts the last one out, fending off the mother bird with sand as she tosses the stubborn chick into the air, forcing it to fly. Jack huffs as the bird squawks angrily at him before flying off with it's young; suddenly he finds himself being dragged away by the hoodie by a tiger. Mysterie flares fire in the tiger's face, forcing it to drop Jack so she can scoop him up with her sand and settle him next to her. Jack shivers and hugs onto her as if he's a child about to be eaten by more animals; the elephant stops to drink, even washing its back and getting them both all wet.

"I say right here's a good spot to stop." Jack says as he sputters a little from the unexpected drenching. She chuckles and dries the two of them off; Jack sighs and floats down to lean against a log, looking up at the forest canopy, unaware that the two of them are being stalked as Mysterie floats down to join him. She's aware that there is something near by and she sends the stalker reeling back as a warning. It growls and suddenly they're surrounded by a pack of leopards and tigers; animals that normally don't work together... They tackle Mysterie while Jack is dragged away by one.

"AHHH!!!" Jack is gone before she can do more than shove them back from her. Mysterie sends the elephant off to distract the large cats while she stalks the kidnappers. It makes a lot of noise as it crashes into one of the tigers while she circles around; hidden in the brush as she tracks Jack with the bond. Jack yells in frustration as the large leopard drags him into a den, a cave with a strange leopard skinned bed.

 

 

"Huh?" Meanwhile, Mysterie shifts forms, becoming a sleek coated leopard as she gets close to change her scent and throw off the felines. Jack groans in slight pain only to have a spear suddenly at his throat, a woman's voice sounding the cavern with the low growls and roars of the leopards and tigers, cubs included.

"Move and you die American." She says in a foreign tongue, but Jack understands her; as all spirits can do. She grabs his hands and ties them together. Mysterie slips past the other felines easily, but she makes it easy to see she's not what she appears as she holds her head like a queen and any of the other great cats that so much as twitch wrong towards her scamper back suddenly with yowls of pain. Her feline eyes gleam like emeralds with power as she steps forward towards the woman through the cave's entrance, showing no fear. The woman turns emerald eyes towards her, shouting out a command that no feline can refuse.

"Yamete!" It meant stop, sit, stay; Jack's eyes widen as he see that her hair is a wavy, black that almost reaches her bottom and the clothes she wears are skinned animals, kills apparently. The spear still is pointed at his throat, though he notices she also has pointed ears, the felines lay down and stay where they are. Mysterie yawns, however, and shakes her head after a moment then moves over to her after shrugging off the command; her voice ringing out telepathically.

 _And why should one such as_ **I** _listen to one such as you? You do not rule me._

The woman hisses.

"You're not my family! You are not of my domain! Get out!" She growls, her eyes flash; making the cats growl at her and the cubs rush forward to bite her tail. She shakes off the cubs with barely any recoil but the adults suddenly scamper back, yowling in pain. 

_No. I am not. You have bitten off more than you can chew. Release the Guardian. I will only ask nicely once before I reveal just how much more power I can control than you feline._

She growls.

"I am not a feline. I am their mother!" Jack lets out a bit of a grunt as he feels teeth sink into his arm, though not enough to draw blood. The feline pulls Jack towards her and then releases him.

"Take your human and go!" Mysterie's laughter rings out.

_Human? We are not human, mortal feline and you are more feline than you are woman. Mother or not to those here. You would do well to know who you face._

She moves over to Jack, cutting his bonds with her teeth before nuzzling against him.

_This is Jack Frost, the Guardian of Fun. I am one of his mates, the Guardian of Wishes. Be warned that if you mess with a Guardian again you and yours may not get off so lightly. Not all of the Guardians are as benevolent to those who kidnap one of their own without provocation._

She licks at the wounds she finds, healing them and nudging him towards the cavern's entrance gently. Jack feels woozy and falls into the dirt; as it turns out some of the felines weren't normal and the woman sighs.

"He's been poisoned by my poisonous black leopards." She plucks a bottle from a pouch and moves over, extending it to her but not getting too close.

"One sip a day should do it otherwise he will die in a matter of minutes." Mysterie sighs and reaches out with silvery sand to take the bottle.

_Thank you. Perhaps you should instruct such to stay only as hunters or last effort guards, a suggestion only mind you._

The sand gives Jack a small dose before it disappears into the sand and she drapes Jack over her back and carries him out. The woman waves bye, though the leopards are still wary of her as she leaves the area. Jack groans.

"Where am I?" 

 


	3. Tending

_Don't worry about that love. I've got you. Time to rest a little I think._ Mysterie finds an uninhabited cave to set Jack down in while she shifts again. She settles next to him and carefully works with her sand to purge the poison from him. The sand is careful to only pick up the poison before leaving through a pore at microscopic size. Such a thing would take a while to finish doing but effective nonetheless. Jack falls asleep instantly, the poison burning him more as it is purged from his body, making him choke and cough. She knows there's little she can do about that but she knows in his case it is easier and faster than trying to get Jack to take the provided antidote. He shivers, trying to end the pain but it grows with each minute. Mysterie eventually draws out the last of the sand and with that the last of the poison.

"Let's take a break, huh?" Jack say tiredly, having woken again; she nods, content to simply sits at his side.

Meanwhile, at the castle... Andrew and Billy find themselves tied back-to-back in chairs, their faces covered in marker, just like the walls; the nursery is destroyed, Luke is screaming his head off. Making Billy and Andrew want to hug each other, if they could.

"IT'S ONLY FIVE HOURS 'TIL THEY COME HOME! MOMMY!!" Jamie comes in on the mess and groans, wondering how the two manage... He at least manages to get them free from the rope after carefully controlling some fire. How the heck had four kids brought down two experienced spirits in so little time? Not long after Billy and Andrew are hiding under the desk as the glass-like ice door has five hands banging on it.

"Tell Jack I love him like a brother!" Andrew squeals. Jamie decides at that point that his powers have to be good for SOMEthing and he summons his power of control to take control of the enchanted toys to try and distract the four so Andrew and Billy can escape the study. Their "leader," Luke, is too smart though; he has face paint smeared on him or dirt... or... something. He taps Jamie's shoulder and the three of them suddenly realize they've been surrounded. Jamie picks Luke up and then Randy.

"You might be smart squirt, but I am still taller." He grins as Andrew snags Noah, leaving Billy to grab the less violent Brianna who looks at Billy with a 'what?' face while Luke squirms and struggles. Jamie chuckles as he hauls his "catch" to the bathroom for baths.

"Get those two cleaned up too won't ya?" Billy nods, Brianna is the only clean one so to speak, but she still got a bath like the rest of them.

In the cavern, Jack wakes up coughing; he squirms a little, his eyes a bit blurry.

"W-where am I?"

"We're still in India love." Mysterie replies gently.

"I'm too tired to go home, let's stay here a couple of days ok?" 

 

 

"I don't blame you love. I think we can swing a few days. I'm sure Jamie can manage... worst case scenario he'll let one of us know if they can't." Jack groans, his body hurts from as a snake has coiled around him and an hour later he screams as the serpent has bitten into him. Mysterie sighs as she turns to see this.

"You need to stop attracting snakes." She easily sucks the venom out before it gets too far into his blood stream to hurt and sends the serpent scurrying off with burns to its hide for its troubles. She then puts up a ward to keep any and all animals at least twenty yards from the cavern that they are in. Jack snuggles into the straw bed that she's made him, he obviously needs a shower but Mysterie doesn't seem to notice as she rests nearby in the heat of the sun. She makes sure that no more animals of any kind can get close to them. She's also made sure that Jack's in the shade too since he's more used to controlling cooler temperatures and so he doesn't have to worry about getting burned by the sun. Jack is out of it from the higher temperatures and stripping him is like trying to pull a sticky frog from glass so she gives up after a few tries; she settles for cooling the area around him as much as possible. Doing this is enough to make a small cloud of rain form over him and it rains down on him; cooling him, Jack grunts and turns his head but it's the only response he gives even as he shudders with mild relief. Mysterie is careful to keep him from overheating. Jack is like a limp doll as he lays beneath the small rain.

At the castle, the entire place is yet again a mess; crayon drawings everywhere and Jamie, Billy and Andrew find themselves tied up to bed poles like sacrifices to paper fire.

"You will hwere owr demwands." Luke says to them as Randy holds a fake gun; Brianna is just an indian, waving to them and making flowers while Noah holds a crayon to Jamie's neck like it's a knife.

"We will not eat veggitables and this bwoccoli, and we will play with bubbles when we want to and no nwaps a' fwive thirty..." While Luke is rambling, Jamie unties the three of them easily as the kids didn't know how he'd gotten the boys free the first time. He'd been caught off guard when he'd decided to take a short nap himself after lunch.

"Sorry devil cakes, I don't take orders from you." Jamie separates Luke from the others this time, setting him in an empty room he had yet to figure out what to do with and makes sure the locks on the doors will only open to him, Jack, Andrew or Mysterie. He then sets to work setting the other two straight while Brianna is scolded for drawing on the walls before Jamie cleans up the mess they've made yet again... 

"I'm only thwee." She replies, while Randy is now busy running around trying to free his brother.

"Now you know better. Age isn't an excuse for mischief young lady." Jamie scolds and says much the same to Noah before putting the two of them down for a nap. Andrew attempts to help; Randy, on the other hand, wriggles away from the little guy as he's trying to find a way to get Luke out of his "prison." 

"Oh no, nice try young man. You're next if you don't start behaving. I've got other rooms to put you in time out in." Jamie says as he picks him up, carrying him off from the room he's stuck Luke in. Randy squeals.

"BOWBA! BOWBA!!" He yells, clawing and drawing blood from Jamie as he flails, trying to get to Luke.

 

 

Jamie doesn't feel the pain, though that's only because he's blocking it. He swat's Randy's bottom rather smartly.

"You WILL listen! No clawing! Ever!" Randy hisses and jumps from Jamie's shoulder, now crawling on the ceiling; Jamie teleports Randy off the ceiling, holding him by the back of his shirt to keep him from doing anything.

"You  _will_ listen young man, your father is **not** going to be happy about all of this when he comes back. Don't think I won't have evidence." Randy squirms and yells even as Noah and Brianna have woken from their naps, tied Andrew and Billy to chairs again and are force-feeding them peas. Jamie exerts his power over Randy, though he knows he might get flack for it later, putting the child to sleep and setting him into his own room while he goes back to see to Noah and Brianna. A glare from him is enough to quell the two as he unties Andrew and Billy.

"Any more of this nonsense and you'll be separated like your brothers have been. Is  **that**  clear?" The two children wince and start to cry. Brianna runs from the room while Noah tries to make it out a window. Andrew and Jamie corral the children back to the windowless nursery and the two are set down inside to play with what toys they have only to find that little Randy has managed to find a way out of his room and bites Jamie, having turned into a wolf-like fox a lot like Jack has done before; the boy howls. Jamie, having had enough, teleports Randy to his own solitary confinement room that not only can he not escape from, but the ward on it neutralizes his powers as well. The child kicks at the stuff and in seconds the room is destroyed while Luke is crying in his room and Noah is spitting on Brianna. Jamie swats Noah, warning him a second time while Andrew cleans up Brianna and moves her off to play; the stuff in the room Randy is in disappears and reappears in a different room like new again.

Jack cries out when Mysterie accidentally touches a wound that is still sensitive; she sighs a little.

"If you would stop squirming and let me tend to it, it wouldn't hurt quite so much." Jack whines and screams a bit as she tends to yet another wound in his side; she sighs a little, finishing patching up the wound. Her sands numbs the pain to more of a dull throbbing now, it's the best she can do.

"There." Jack falls asleep again, his final thoughts being on how surprised he is that he's so sleepy. When he wakes again he looks over at Mysterie.

"C-can we go home now?" 

"With the way things have been going. It might be safer there, goodness Jack, remind me to bring a medical bag next time we take a trip." Jack groans.

"Okay, I'll remind you." 


	4. Lessons Learned

Luke cries out from the room he's in.

"Papa! I'm worry!! I won't do it agwain! Wet mwe out!!" In a room several doors down, Randy has his fit though there's nothing left in the room for him to destroy. It isn't until fifteen minutes later that Jamie has things settled between the twins and heads to the room where Luke is at; he opens the door.

"Now then, do you think you can be a good boy?" Luke sniffs as he walks over to Jamie, hugging his leg.

"Wes." He says cutely.

"I wanna play moo cow." Jamie pulls Luke from his leg so he can pick the boy up and take him back to the nursery. Randy, he can sense, is still throwing a massive fit; Luke suckles on his thumb for a minute or two once he's set in the nursery before he begins playing blocks with Brianna and Noah; Andrew and Billy play with the children while Jamie watches over the group. Randy shouts and pounds on where the door to his room used to be while the other kids are having their snack, except that Luke absolutely refuses to eat his vegetables among the snack food. Jamie chuckles at his reluctance.

"You're just like your father... he doesn't much care for them either... but you know, you have to eat some veggies if you want to grow up to be like him. Maybe not the green ones... but how about some mashed potatoes instead?" Luke gasps and eats up what's offered quickly. Jamie chuckles little.

"You definitely have your father's tastes too. Now, you mind your uncles Andrew and Billy while I go check on your brother okay? When I get back we'll all have some cookies for desert." Luke giggles.

"YAY!!" He jumps up and down before going back to playing in the play pen he's put in, meanwhile Randy is still having is fit and bites Jamie when he opens the door that he's remade. Jamie sighs a little, setting down the snack he's prepared for Randy after shaking him off and leaves the room; he wraps up the wound after cleaning it in the nearest bathroom and returns to the nursery with the promised cookies after a quick stop to the kitchen to snag the treats.

Jack tries to sit up, only irritating his wounds horribly.

"Jack, what did I say about moving? You're not going to heal enough for us to leave if you don't stay put. I know you hate staying still, but you really need to." Jack moans in protest.

"At least 29 times." He then chuckles, she sighs a little.

"You really need to actually listen rather than keeping track of how often I say something." Jack winces at that.

 

 

"Yes mom." She chuckles a little, mockingly chiding him.

"Now don't start that again." 

"Mysterie, I'm fine. Let's just go home." Jack says after several minutes of sitting in silence; she raises an eyebrow at him.

"At this point the only way that's happening is if I carry you and I know how much you detest being coddled like that." Jack groans.

"Anything to get us home. I'll deal with it."

"Well, alright, but keep in mind this was your idea not mine." She wraps Jack up in her sand, he whines as he hates this very much but he wants to be home. She makes sure that he's as comfortable as possible, and secure, before heading back for the castle.

After snack and being cleaned up, Luke plays cars while Brianna draws on a sleeping Andrew and Billy.

"Look dada! A kitty!" She says when he comes back in with a clean Noah, who is hanging onto his shirt and giggling; Brianna is holding one of Mysterie's lipsticks, one that Jack had bought her. Jamie chuckles, putting Noah down and taking the lipstick from her.

"Pretty Brianna, but mommy isn't going to be happy that you got into this without her permission." Jamie works to clean up the boys before they wake up. Billy wakes up in the middle of it though.

"What are you doing?" He asks groggily as Jamie wipes the lipstick from him.

"Brianna thought you'd look nice as a cat." Jamie chuckles as he finishes cleaning the make up off with the towel while the three are down for the count around the room with various stuffed animals. Randy hasn't let up though as the "door" of his room strains against his anger. Jamie frowns slightly, reinforcing Randy's room to keep him inside until he's calmed down. Randy isn't calming down and only beats on the "door" and yells words that Jack accidentally taught him that were far from appropriate. When the two of them arrive, the first thing Jack notices is the banging that he can hear.

"JAMIE! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?!" By the tone of his voice it's obvious he's anything but happy, he forces himself up off the cloud of sand that Mysterie has used to get him back to the castle. He coughs a bit but looks about a moment before settling on Jamie's eyes.

"Where is Randy?" He asked instantly and it is as he really gets a good look at his surrounds does he realize only the nursery is as clean he remembers leaving it.

 

 

"Ooh... that's the last time I leave you in charge of the children!" Jamie winces a little, but then frowns.

"Things got a little messy, but they're fine. As for Randy, he's throwing a temper tantrum in one of the empty rooms. He didn't like being punished for not listening." 

"Hun, don't be so hard on Jamie." Mysterie comments, knowing well enough what trouble the boys could be... Hearing the pounding again, Jack remarks, his expression one of fury.

"Excuse me while I deal with my son." He heads off, opening the door to the room that Jamie had locked and that he can sense Randy is in; the child squeals and jumps back even as Jack picks him up. His eyes flashing as he makes it quite clear who is dominate.

"You will listen to me and me only fox." He spoke to the fox side within him that had transferred to the boy.

"Don't try this again or you won't like the consequences." For good measure he gives three hard smacks to Randy's bottom; he cries and Jack takes him back to the nursery, setting him in one of the play pens and leaving the room; he'd had enough nonsense for one day. Jamie looks at Mysterie curiously but she just shrugs; it's not often that either of them see Jack get mad like that... or at all for that matter. Randy continues to cry, his bottom stinging harshly; Luke hugs his brother only to be shoved back by him. Jack, in the library, glares at a book on parenting about spankings.

"What? The kid deserved that one!" The voice in his head protesting are his "maternal" instincts and they are currently shouting angrily at him for doing that.

"HE WAS A BAD BOY! HE DESERVED THOSE! NOW SHUT UP AND LET ME READ!!" Even as he said as much Jamie and Mysterie could hear the "voices" that were scolding Jack. Mysterie agrees with Jack's decision, however, as does Jamie as he finishes fixing up the rest of the castle. The little ones have to learn some how; after about nearly fifteen minutes of it though, and disturbing the other kids' nap time, Jamie takes Randy from his pen and to another room, murmuring quietly.

"Now there, you have to learn to control your temper hmm?" He doesn't completely remove the pain of the spanking, but Jamie does soothe it a little with his power. Randy hiccups and hides his face in Jamie's chest; Jack relaxes in the study but he looks awful as he has bags under his eyes and he whines every now and then from the pain of the wound in his side when it would throb horribly for a while. Mysterie sighs as she goes into the room and tries to help him get comfortable, in a bed this time, while Jamie gently rocks Randy.

"There, there. It's not so bad, you just need to learn to be good and listen to us mkay?" Randy nods.

"Okay dada." 


	5. Unintentional Trauma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [bit of lemon]

Jack, meanwhile, sighs in contentment. Mysterie settles nearby.

"Now, no more moving around like a gymnast until you heal."

"Now then, let's get you a snack, hmm?" Jack glares at Jamie and the little bundle he's carrying when he senses them walking nearby.

"Did I say punishment was over?" Randy hides his face away. Jamie frowns at Jack.

"I don't think letting a child go hungry is suitable punishment for a child Jack." He walks off with Randy, heading for the kitchen even as he murmurs to the boy.

"I know, your father is scary when he wants to be." Randy whines and Jack is annoyed enough as it is at them both; Randy hides under Jamie's shirt as they walk by with the snacks.

"Hmph. So he can have snacks, doesn't mean he is off punishment any time soon." 

"Settle down love, he is just a child after all." Mysterie chides gently after Jamie has returned to the nursery and settles him down to eat his snack, quietly reassuring the boy that things will be okay and that Jack will eventually cool off. Randy giggles a bit while Jack is cooling down in his room; Jamie takes Randy to a different room, teleporting a few toys to play with the boy until he starts yawning, then he settles him back into his crib for a nap. Hours later finds Randy napping with his siblings, he suckles his thumb, Brianna laying on top of Luke, who is on top of Randy and Noah is half on top of the adorable pile. Jamie shakes his head at how they can sleep like that, but they are siblings... He decides to go see if he can't do something to ease Jack's pain, as he can sense it along the bond, and perhaps help with his mood as well... the first at least the most likely. Jack growls inwardly at the "voices" in his head for hours on end as they try and guilt-trip him. Jamie settles next to Jack, sending a bit of his power into him to soothe the hurt and Jack mmms at that.

"S-so much better." Jamie smiles a little.

"Well, let me try and see if I can't do more. No reason you should feel too much while you heal... well, too much pain anyway." 

"Jamie... really now..." Mysterie says from where she's sitting, having caught what he may or may not be implying; Jamie just chuckles and increases the level of his power to suppress more of the pain. Jack lets out a gasp as it's now like the pain is not even there; Jamie chuckles a little.

"You should just relax and get better. Handy aren't we?" He grins a little at his own joke while Mysterie facepalms; Jack nods, completely missing the joke.

"I think I'm going to check on Andrew and Billy." She leaves the two with a slight shake of her head; she also still needed to put away the new dress that Jack had bought her.  Jack shivers as he begins to fall asleep, not having missed seeing a hint of lust in Jamie's eyes; Jamie just chuckles a little, it can wait until Jack is better. For now he settles next to his love; it's about an hour past the first morning minutes when Jack feels something touching below.

 

 

"Mmm... Jamie, not now." Jack giggles as he feels more and more.

"Jamie?" He asks cautiously and opens his eyes groggily only to see that it's Randy who's poking into his pants and Jack gasps, eyes wide now.

"RANDY NOO!!" Randy squeals in surprise and dives under Jamie's shirt.

"Randy! Really now..." Jamie chides a little groggily, he'd been napping himself until just now; unaware of what the boy had been up to moments before.

"You little rascal... no no... No doing that." He carries Randy back to the nursery while Jack shivers, feeling violated by his own curious son... Randy asks Jamie a question as he's carried to the nursery, one that probably shouldn't be asked until he's much older...

"Dada, why's daddie's bigger than mwine?"

"Because he's older son. You shouldn't go doing that; it's not proper and I think you've hurt your daddy's feelings. That's private and you shouldn't ever touch anyone there unless they give you permission." Jamie chides gently as he sets Randy back in the pin before going back to the room to soothe Jack as he could sense the emotions bubbling along the bond... and it wasn't good.

"Daddie's old like an old man." Randy comments, not really understanding the answer, as Jamie leaves the room. Jack shudders.

"H-his hands were on the t-tip..." He holds his arms around himself. Jamie rouses Andrew who becomes stuck explaining things to the little tyke now while Jamie wraps his arms around Jack.

"I guess we should have warded the door to your room against the children... they were bound to get curious at some time. It'll be okay Jack." He holds him close, rubbing his back gently. Jack shivers, hugging Jamie.

"It aroused me is the most horrible part." Jack says, shaking, his body still aroused despite it all.

"It's okay Jack... I'm not surprised it did. That's kind of normal." He says in a soothing tone.

"You didn't know it was him, don't dwell on it." 

"Y-yeah..." He shudders, groaning a little as now he has an arousal to get rid of.

 

 

"Let's make a new memory hmm? Just relax..." Jamie murmurs soothingly shifting to gently brush his lips along Jack's before he slides a hand into his pants to stroke the release out of his love. Jack gasps, squirming and groaning into the kiss, arching a little as he can feel his release coming closer with each stroke.

"J-jamie..." Jamie makes sure no one disturbs the two of them by getting rid of the door temporarily as he trails loving kissing down Jack's neck; continuing the slow strokes. Jack squirms and mewls for more as he arches into the touch and the kisses; Jamie nips at his neck as his fingertips lightly graze the tip teasingly. Jack gasps and with one more stroke he releases with a yell; Jamie purrs a little in his throat, kissing Jack gently before cleaning him up. Jack shudders from the climax, gasping as he's unable to make any other sound; Jamie gently presses a loving kiss to Jack's lips, Jack has no words for what he's thinking at that moment. Meanwhile, in the nursery, Andrew is faced with answering Randy's questions...

"Why was there white stuff coming from it? I thought peepee was wellow like wemonaid; mommy said its wellow." Andrew has to think fast on that one.

"Well, your daddy has been sick lately and sometimes that happens when your'e not feeling well." 

"IT DOES!! Then why did he smile?" Luke pulls on Andrew's hand to get his attention before he says.

"I went potty." As it turns out... he'd peed nearby a plant. 

"Probably because, according to your daddy, he was asleep and was having a good dream before the pain registered." Andrew hopes the boy buys that even as he looks down at Luke.

"Where?" Luke points, there is a large spot by a tea plant, Jack's giant tea plant that he's been keeping alive for many centuries; Andrew groans when he notices.

"Luke, no... you're not supposed to use a plant for that!" Andrew calls for Mysterie and she sighs when she's sees what is up; she looks at Luke.

"Next time tell someone, Luke, and we'll take you to the potty like daddy okay?" She summons some sand to clean up the mess while Luke jumps at that.

"LIKE DADDY!!" Randy now has become curious of his own... parts... and is now trying to see why his doesn't have white in it.

"How come I don't? Am I healthy?" Randy asks, Andrew nods.

"Yes Randy, you are healthy and that is a good thing. Now why don't we go play cars with your brother hmm?" Andrew  **really** wanted to get off this subject... 


	6. Not His Day

Luke goes to wash his hands, as instructed, and Mysterie is off to have a serious talk with Jack and Jamie.

"God." Jack whines a little. Andrew, meanwhile, really wants to talk to Jamie about this whole thing... if not Mysterie about this incident... but that would be later, when the children are asleep. Jamie, meanwhile, simply relaxes next to Jack. Jack groans groggily.

"Gooood, Jamie... so g-good." Jamie smiles a little, purring softly in satisfaction in his throat; Jack falls asleep then. Sometime later, after snack, a big question is asked by Randy as Mysterie is cleaning up.

"Momwe... why don't you have a peepee like mwine and dadwes?" Luke asks, Mysterie blinks at the question; she looks at Andrew who gives a sheepish shrug and hurriedly beats a hasty retreat. She sighs.

"Because I'm a girl, like your sister and girls are different. I'll explain more when you're older, or your father or daddy will." He looks at her adorably.

"But why?" 

"As I said love, I'll tell you when you're older." She gently bops his nose playfully.

"It won't matter until you're older anyway." He giggles.

"An' why's thsat?" He asks innocently, she chuckles a little.

"You'll know soon enough sweetheart. For now let's just worry about playing nice with your brothers and sister, mkay?" He nods.

"Okway mommy." He plays with his brothers and sister under her watchful eye. Jack wakes a few hours later, still in Jamie's arms and feeling tired. He sighs.

"Guess I'll get breakfast started now." 

"Why bother? Andrew's in the kitchen making something now." Jamie mutters with a twitch of his lips. Jack sighs again.

"Well, I'm usually used t-to making breakfast." His tone is distraught, wondering if he isn't needed anymore in the kitchen.

"Yes, I know, but you need to finish healing first. I'm sure you'll be well enough tomorrow to cook if you feel like it. No need to feel that way, you know no one cooks like you do." Jamie murmurs as he gently runs his thumb across the back of Jack's hand in a small gesture of comfort.

 

 

Jack purrs at the touch, though he still feels violated by his own son; Jamie nuzzles against Jack a little, knowing that such a thing will take a while for Jack to get over. Jack sighs. Meanwhile Randy and Luke decide that while playing they should beat each other with the toys; Mysterie sighs, separating the two and scolding them slightly about "playing nice." The two whine, but do as they are told; Brianna is busy playing with a teddy bear, doing patty cake with it while Noah is building with blocks. Mysterie nods a little at the two, pleased that the boys are beginning to learn to actually listen more than before. Noah glances around, looking lost for a minute or two as usually Jack is teaching him or reading with him at about this time of the day. Mysterie sits down with Brianna and Randy with a book, telling them a story and helping them to learn their first words by sight. Billy is helping Luke with a different book. Andrew comes over with a couple of books to Noah; he sits down next to him with them, one is about a dog and the other about a firefighter.

"Which one of these do you want to read today Noah?" Noah picks the book with the dog.

"Doggie." Andrew smiles a little, setting the other book aside and he opens the book about the little lost puppy, setting the book in front of Noah as he slowly begins to read to him.

"A-and the dog j-jamp- jumped over the twee- trrrree." Noah says, sounding each word out. Andrew smiles as he does, nodding encouragingly as Noah reads the new book.

"T-the dog j-jumped over the mwoon- moon." Meanwhile, Jack groggily sits up and stretches, popping his back a little as he does so.

"Feeling better?" Jamie asks.

"Yeah, much better."  It's only a few minutes after story time that Luke hits Noah with a snowball, making him cry as Randy throws one at Brianna, making her cry as well; the two boys then try to hide like Jack usually does when Mysterie is mad.

"Boys! No! No snow in the house!" She finds the two, giving them both a swat only hard enough to sting. As the two children cried, Jack jumps a little as he hears it over the bond and hits the headboard of the bed. He gets dressed and heads downstairs to the nursery.

"Hey, what's all the crying for?" Mysterie shake her head when he comes in.

"Just working on teaching them to not use snow INSIDE..." Jack giggles.

"Awww, I did that to you once. Boy that was fun." 

"Yeah... but that was different. I could defend myself, the twins cannot." Billy and Andrew do their best to comfort Brianna and Noah before the four children tackle Jack.

 

 

"DADDIE!!" Jack gasps.

"Help! Can't breathe! Too many things to cuddle!" The children giggle, hugging his arms and legs. Jack gasps.

"Get them off!" Mysterie chuckles as Andrew, Billy and she each take a kid and gently pry them off Jack; leaving Luke the only one clinging to one arm. Jack giggles.

"Looks like we missed one." He then sighs.

"Fine, I guess I'll just have to tickle it 'til it comes off." Jack proceeds to tickle Luke under his arms, back and his tummy; the little boy laughs, squirming but not yet letting go. Mysterie chuckles.

"Yes, we most certainly did." Jack chuckles, tickling the boy in all the spots that made him laugh the most. Eventually Luke lets go, giggling hysterically from Jack's tickling; but as soon as Jack ceases he latches on again with a happy grin.

"Yup... still a daddy's boy." Jack gasps, walking around with the "little leech" on him; he walks to the kitchen, trying faintly to shake the boy off only to find that Randy has latched to his other leg and Noah has latched onto an arm. Brianna, who has caught up to Jack, latches onto something vital causing Jack to scream out; they all let go immediately and Jack falls backwards onto the floor, twitching.

"OWIE!!" Mysterie sighs as she catches up to the group, picking up the wayward children with sand while Jamie does what he can to alleviate the pain while Mysterie gently chides Brianna for her choice of place to cling.

"I wanted to climb on dada too." She whines and Jack winces at that.

"It's okay sweetie, just don't climb there on daddy ok?" He says with a groan. Mysterie nods, reinforcing it.

"Just cling to an arm or leg okay? No where else. That goes for everyone." They all giggle as Luke mimics Jack, who stands up and turns only for there to be a "crunch" as Jack runs into a tall toy and is on the floor again in seconds. Jamie winces, working to get rid of the pain while Mysterie looks at Andrew and Billy who had been put in charge of cleaning up toys; both giver her a sort of 'oops' look and she sighs; her sand removing the toy and sending it back to the nursery where it belongs.

"Why me?" Jack cries a little, by this time he began to think might end up neutered or sterile. Jamie does his best to console Jack while Mysterie takes the kids to the kitchen for their dinner, using her sand to keep a grip on them all. Jack leans into Jamie, who helps him up; he limps as he walks through a room and towards a chair only to hit the corner of a book shelf in passing. Jamie winces inwardly and soothes the pain almost instantly.

"Maybe today isn't your day." He murmurs.


	7. Infantile Battle

"It's nut proofing time I think." Jack whines, groaning as he sits down while Percy barks as he comes over and jumps straight into Jack's lap, wagging his tail; oblivious to the pain he's just caused.

"THE PAIN! JUST PUT ME OUT OF MY MISERY!!" Jack screams and Jamie does just that... just not in the way most would expect in terms of that sort of request; he plucks the otter off Jack even as his power numbs the pain and moves Jack over to the bed to rest. Jack falls asleep, curled up to protect himself against more pain. Mysterie herds the children back to the nursery, and the otter away from Jack... sending sand to repair any damage while Jamie numbs the pain. Randy and Luke giggle nonstop as Percy jumps, trying to grab onto one of the children as they float on the sand only to be dragged when he gets a hold of Brianna. There's a ripping sound and she starts crying as she realizes her diaper has come off. Mysterie scolds the otter as she takes the diaper from him and tosses it into the trash before getting Brianna a new one. She gently swats at him when he tries to snag the new one, keeping him from repeating his actions; Percy nips at her hand. He had very sharp teeth, he'd bit Jack only once when he'd been a cub and didn't do it again after Jack had swatted him but Mysterie was "mommy" and didn't have the same control. He growled. Randy pets the otter's tail only for him to turn and bite him on the thumb, causing him to cry. Mysterie swats the otter harder this time, growling.

"Bite them again and you'll be a STUFFED otter is that clear?!" She glares at the otter while she holds Randy, her sand healing the wound even as she hisses at the otter much like a mother cat. This was her baby after all and she isn't about to let anything hurt her babies. Percy whimpers and takes off at a dead run to Jack, slamming into Jack's jewels in his haste to hide. Jack goes down again. Mysterie sighs, Jamie does as well at the exact same time and soothes Jack's pain while Mysterie just shakes her head at the retreating otter before turning her full attention to Randy, cooing softly to him.

"It's okay baby. I won't let him hurt you again, promise." Randy whines.

"Doggy mean." Jack whines as Jamie helps him to a bed again.

"I know honey... he won't be mean again." She gently kisses the newly healed finger and snuggles him close; she hadn't given birth to Randy, but he is still -to her- as much her baby as Noah and Brianna are. Randy giggles, Brianna and Noah are busy playing with the plush dinosaurs while Luke, jealous of the attention, kicks Randy as he crawls up.

"MUMU!!" 

"Now Luke, don't kick your brother. You're my baby too you know." She picks Luke up with her other arm, holding him to her other side and kisses both of their noses, making them giggle. Jack smile as he hears the echo of their giggles along the bond while Jamie is using ice on Jack. He holds the ice pack for him, wondering how it is Jack hasn't just made himself one until it occurs to him that maybe he was in too much pain to even consider it. Mysterie has her arms full, peppering the two little boys with kisses, making them giggle. The two giggle more and more; Luke falls asleep eventually while Brianna cries for attention and Jack winces as the damage is worse... 

 

 

"J-jamie... I think I need to get medical help down there..." Jamie nods and sends a call to Mysterie as she is settling Luke in his crib for his nap while Randy toddles over to play with his siblings.

"Andrew, watch the children a moment won't you?" He nods and Andrew goes over to distract Brianna, leaving Billy to distract Noah and Randy while Mysterie goes to see what is wrong. 

"I think he crushed my balls... they're flat." Jack groans when she enters the room, she sighs a little.

"Well, let me see..." Jamie leaves the room, ensuring that no one but he or Mysterie can go in and out, just in case he's needed while she's doing an inspection. Jack whines and yelps at the barest of touches as she inspects, there's a nasty bruise on the balls. She sighs a little at this.

"Definitely some bruising. Well, it will take some time but I'll do what I can." She makes her sand microscopic so it can work on the damage from the inside, careful not to irritate any nerves. Jack gasps and lets out a yell as she manages to touch a nerve where the cartilage is out of place. She winces.

"Sorry." She works carefully around the irritated nerves now; Jack shakes a little, feeling tingling in that area all the while as she works to fix the damage. Jamie numbs the pain from the other side of the door, having done so since she'd accidentally hit a nerve. Jack shudders during the process as the sand knits everything back to where it should be, eventually falling unconscious; he snores like a saw. She just smiles a little, finishing up the work while he sleeps; there is a loud crash and a girl's scream from one of the room's rings across the speakers. Having finished up, Mysterie goes to investigate, only slightly alarmed from the scream that she's just heard. When she gets to the nursery, however, she finds that Andrew and Billy are screaming like little girls as Randy is tossing them about the room like rag dolls.

"Randy! Come on now, put your uncles down!" The two boys scream.

"HE LOVES SCREAMING!!" Mysterie isn't sure who's said that; Andrew yells as he's slammed into a wall and dropped. Billy is slammed into a different wall and he cries out in pain as there's a distinct crack, one of his arms broken by the impact.

"Randy Bennett-Frost! You do NOT do that!" Mysterie says, unhappy with the boy now as her sand fixes Billy's arm while Jamie comes into the nursery to see what all the fuss is about. Randy glares at her defiantly. Billy groans.

"I'm okay, not his fault." Randy crosses his little arms. She meets his glare.

"Don't even try it. I don't care how capable you think you are young man. You haven't been trained and your powers aren't simply a toy for you to mess with. You won't like the consequences and I don't just mean from me or your father." He glares at her like 'bring it mama.' She raises an eyebrow at that.

 

 

"Think you can handle me hmm? Well then... by all means... Go ahead and try." The boy giggles, but it sounds a lot like a wordless 'fine.'

"What's going on?" Jack groans as he moves towards the nursery. Mysterie is picked up, slammed against a table repeatedly like a toy and then thrown out the nearest window and into the backyard's pool. She hovers above the pool before a strand of sand wraps around Randy and yanks him out of the castle, dropping him in the pool's shallow end while she simply raises an eyebrow at him; hardly phased by the show of "strength" or being tossed like a toy. Randy flies out of the water and spits in her face, calling upon thunder and wind, creating mini tornados to engulf her and try and drown her in the pool. Only once he thinks she's had enough does he toss her twenty miles away. She is able to keep from being close to drowning though, having made a bubble with the light around her and she floats back; hardly phased.

"Not bad... for a novice. Of course, considering you are my child I have no reason to actually hurt you." Despite the challenge she'd issued to the boy, she hasn't really tried retaliating and for good reason. Rand shakes with anger, steam coming out of his ears much like Sandy's sand did when he's mad; he slams boulders at her, crushing her between them, or trying to. Mysterie evades the boulders by becoming sand and then reforms. He then tosses her as far away as he can; back in the nursery Jack looks at Jamie.

"J-jamie... what's all the ruckus?" Mysterie clicks her tongue at the boy, having sensed that Jack has woken up.

"Tsk, tsk son. You've woken your father." Randy lets out a war cry, but he doesn't get beyond that as Jack, who's standing next to a window with Jamie, tosses a block of ice at him that slams squarely into the boy. He drops to the ground, staggering a little dizzily.

"I vwill bweat woo." He collapses, Mysterie turns to the two and raises an eyebrow at them.

"Really now, I don't think that was productive." Jack grumbles in response before going back to the bed to sleep. She shakes her head a little, tucking Jack in with her sand before wrapping up Randy in some sand as well; she pulls him close, gently placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Some day, my son, you will be formidable." Randy is more peaceful now that he's asleep. She chuckles softly and settles Randy into his crib to sleep. Jack wakes up the next morning, still feeling some pain but Jamie helps with that until it heals enough to stop hurting on its own. Percy growls at Luke as Jack is changing Randy's diaper, he snaps at the otter.

"NO!" Percy whimpers and stops growling.

"I don't know what's gotten into you Perce, but it stops now." He says sternly, his protective father instincts showing in his tone and gaze and Percy whimpers as he slinks off to hide. Mysterie, meanwhile, is feeding Randy and Brianna breakfast while Jack is dealing with Percy as the two had risen some time after Noah and Luke had.


	8. Bath Time

Jack huffs a little then sniffs.

"Oh boy... I need a freaking bath." 

"Why don't you? I'll watch Luke and Noah for a little while." Jack sniffs.

"Yeah, okay." He walks off to a bathroom, slowly stripping; wincing as the water hits his still healing genitals. Jamie keeps an eye on the boys, playing cars with them to keep them distracted while Mysterie feeds the other two. Andrew is off in his room, still asleep as he'd been worn out from the previous days; Billy is busy trying to eat himself but is having a bit of trouble as the arm he usually eats with - his left - is still healing from the previous day's break. Mysterie discreetly gives the boy a hand with her sand, considering the trouble he's having with his still-mending arm.

"Thank you." A bit of a smile flutters across her lips as she keeps an eye on Randy while she finishes feeding Brianna. Randy, meanwhile, is flying around on the wind in the nursery. Jack groans as he dries himself and then has to dress; he's still in pain but he walks downstairs.

"Hey guys." He says when he enters the nursery; Randy squeals and loses control of his flight.

"WHOA! WHOA!" Jack catches him and Randy giggles, happily hugging Jack while Mysterie cleans up the last of the dishes that had been Brianna's breakfast. Jack chuckles as he looks at the boy.

"No flying without me yet, got it?" Randy laughs.

"No dada, I wanna fwy!!" Jack chuckles at the boy's enthusiasm.

"A little over eager I think." Jamie says, chuckling. Jack sighs.

"Not yet young one." Randy pouts cutely and Mysterie chuckles as she comes in. Jack smiles and cleans the dirt from the boy's face.

"Dada stop." Jack chuckles.

"You four need a bath." He smiles and looks over at Mysterie.

"I think it's time they got their baths, don't you?" She nods.

"I agree."

 

 

"No baff. Wanna fwy." Randy replies, causing Mysterie to chuckle a little and Jack smiles at him.

"Well, you don't want to be all icky when you fly, right?" He picks up Luke on the way, who protests too. Mysterie chuckles and sends a message to Andrew to watch the twins while Jamie gives Jack a hand with bathing Luke.

 _"Perhaps only two at a time... just to keep the mess in the bathroom down a little."_ Mysterie says over the bond to both Jack and Jamie. Jack smiles, Jamie starts the water while Jack grabs some shampoo and some bath toys for the boys. Jamie holds onto Luke, who squirms as he doesn't want any part of the water; Jamie makes sure to get rid of the door and window to keep the two in the room while he wiggles Luke out of his clothes.

"No! No bawf!" Luke protests while Randy runs around the room, trying to find a way out; Jack giggles.

"Awww... brings back memories does it not Jamie?" Jack asks as he catches Randy.

"Sorry little guy, bath time." He strips him and then places him in the tub; Jamie chuckles.

"Oh yes... getting YOU in the first time was so much fun..." He smirks at Jack before putting Luke in the tub next to his brother, the two splash Jack and Jamie as they squirm in the water. Jack chuckles, washing Randy's hair.

"At least I don't do it anymore." 

"Oh, I donno about that... you weren't all that willing the LAST time I tried..." Jamie returns, chuckling as he washes Luke; Jack smiles.

"Well, you know I won't do it again."

"Uh huh... and how do I know you won't just try and have a repeat of the first time hmm?" Half an hour later the room is half soaked and so is Jamie and Jack from all the splashing, but the two boys are clean. Jamie chuckles a little as he dries and dresses Luke.

"No, it's not gonna happen like that." 

"Uh huh... suuuuurrrreeee..." Jamie chuckles a little, shaking off the thought before it goes too far. It takes another few hours to get the other two clean; Jack just growls a little in response. A few weeks later the boys had decided to play in the mud by making muddies and then had somehow decided it was an even better idea to throw them at Jack... Seeing this, Mysterie tsks at the mess.

"Boys... now the three of you are going to need a bath..." She lifts the two boys, enlisting Andrew and Billy to help bathe the two, leaving Jack to take his own bath. Jack hisses at Jamie when he sees him in the bedroom, having meant to only change clothes; he then clings to the ceiling, literally. Jamie had noticed what a mess the boys were and had gone to look for Jack to ask about when he notices a "mess" on the ceiling.

 

 

"Jack?" Jack just hisses while the boys giggle as they are carried off to their own baths.

"Dada in the ceilwing."

"So I see boys... you go with mommy for your bath. I'll deal with your father." Mysterie chuckles a little, carting the three boys away to a bathroom. Jamie raises an eyebrow.

"Jack, come out of the ceiling please." 

"NO!! BATH!!" He yells back. Jamie seems slightly amused.

"Are you going to do this again?" Jack growls.

"YES! I LIED LAST WEEK AND YOU SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED THIS!" Jack yells, clinging to the ceiling fan in the living room now.

"Yeah, I figured as much." He murmurs and the fan drops next to him at his command and he pries Jack off it. Jack growls, kicking and biting like a wild animal. Jamie drags him to the nearest bathroom, rearranging it so there is nothing to hide in this time and no place to escape from. Jack hisses at Jamie and refuses to get into the tub, biting Jamie as hard as Randy had once bit Mysterie.

"Were you a cat in another life?" Jamie asks mildly, know he'll feel that bite later as he pulls Jack's clothes off before tossing his own aside and pulling Jack into the tub with him. Jack hisses an yowls.

"Maybe." He hisses angrily, fighting to get out of the tub just as Randy is fighting to do in a different bathroom as he's cleaned. Mysterie chuckles as Randy fights his bath, the other two aren't any better but she uses her sand to keep them in the water and help wash them. Jamie turns on the cool water and settles into the tub with Jack in his lap. Jack whines, crawling to the edge, using all the strength he has to pull himself; the water begins to turn brown since he's caked in mud. Jamie gently pries Jack off the edge of the tub and back into the rising water that's barely waist deep when he shuts it off. Jack splashes Jamie hard and thorough and hisses more and more; he also tries biting. Jamie winces a little, but not so much from pain as from slight annoyance knowing he'd feel the pain later... He'd pretty much prepared for this as he washes Jack's hair first, lightly scrubbing the soap into his scalp. Jack sighs, finally giving up though in the other room Randy is still fighting tooth and nail though the other two have long given up; Jamie is gentle in cleaning the mud out of Jack's hair first before gently working to get it off his face and neck. Jack hisses as Jamie's fingers brush against a wound in his side, a fair sized scratch that has gotten infected from the looks of it; at least to Jamie, who winces a little.

"Sorry, didn't know that was there..." His power flows into Jack to ease the pain while he contacts Mysterie over the bond for a bit of sand work while he gently cleans around it. 


	9. Family Trip

Jack whines.

"Stop! Stop, it hurts..." He pulls himself from the tub... or tries to. Jamie sighs, easing the pain while the sand works to be rid of the infection first; he works on washing Jack's other side in the mean time, keeping him in the water.

"It wouldn't hurt so much if you hadn't let it get infected like this." Jack glares at Jamie.

"IT WOULDN'T HURT IF YOU LET IT BE!! They always scab over and heal!" Jamie shakes his head, chiding gently.

"Now Jack, you know it doesn't take long to heal something so simple and it wouldn't be necessary if you just dealt with them right away." Jamie goes back to washing the side only once the sand is through and disappears. Jack growls.

"You never let me be right, do you? You always have to be right, don't you?" Jamie sighs as he continues the gentle wash.

"You've been right before, you just don't remember it." Jack splashes Jamie.

"ALRIGHT! I'M CLEAN! I'M CLEAN!" Jamie nips his shoulder.

"Not quite yet you aren't." Jack whines.

"N-no don't start Jamie, I really am clean." He says breathlessly, the nip having aroused him as apparently he's all healed now.

"Start what? I just said you weren't fully clean. I've only just finished your back." Jamie murmurs a little distractedly, nipping at Jack's neck while he gets some more soap before shifting Jack in the water so he can wash off the mud from his hips and thighs next. Jack shudders.

"Jamie stop." 

"Nope. You need to be clean first." Jamie replies evenly, his fingers feather light as he rubs the soap along Jack's length and balls to clean them too. Jack winces.

"Jamie, ow... lighter please." Jamie complies to the request, also sending a touch of his power through his hand to soothe the hurt. Randy and the others, meanwhile, are clean and now playing in the nursery... all but Randy who knocks on the door he senses Jack is behind.... or wall rather since the door is gone.

"Dada!" Jack groans.

 

 

"Jamie, Randy wants attention."

"He'll be out to play soon enough son, he's busy with his bath at the moment!" Jamie calls back, Mysterie chuckles a little as she picks up Randy and carries him off.

"Even your daddy has to take baths. Let's read a book while we wait for him to get clean too hmm?" Randy giggles.

"Ok mama." Jack sighs once they are gone and the rest of the bath goes well as Jamie finishes washing Jack gently.

"There now, you're all clean." He lets go of Jack who stands up and shakes like a dog, sending water splashing off him and onto Jamie who is climbing out behind him. Jamie dries himself off with a towel.

"Missed a spot." He moves forward and gives Jack a gentle peck on the nose, causing him to chuckle.

"Let's go." Jack changes into some dry clothes while Jamie smiles a little and slips into his clothes; reforming the door to let them both out. Jack smiles as he heads out.

"DADA!" Jack is tackled by all four children.

"Ouch." He chuckles as they cling to his legs and arms.

"You know, I think we should all go on a trip." He looks over at Jamie.

"Jamie, I think it's your turn to choose where we go now." 

"Hmmm, how about a beach? I know of a good one where we can watch the kids play in the sand and water and not have to worry about the sun too much too." Mysterie chuckles a little at the four and helps pry them off Jack.

"I know you love him, but you can't all hug him at once now." She holds Brianna and Randy, Jack nods at the idea.

"Great, ok." Billy and Andrew come in to help pry the other two off.

"Hey guys, we're going to the beach, coming?" Billy sighs.

"Ok, but I'm not going in the water ok?" 

 

 

"Alright." Jack says with a smile. Andrew huffs.

"Keep them away from me though." He says, pointing to the four children who smile a bit darkly at him.

"Hey you four, you know better." Mysterie scolds them lightly as she sets her two down to get beach clothing for them and find some for herself as well as packing a lunch in a cooler for all of them as well as towels and a few other possible essentials in a bag. The four snuggle next to Jack as if he would protect them from Mysterie.

"Ahh ahh, I ain't your protector on this one." Brianna gives Jack cute puppy eyes as do the rest, though Luke hangs onto Mysterie instead while Noah and Randy hug Jamie. Andrew and Billy get their things ready while Mysterie gets the other stuff prepared. Jamie leads the way to the beach, four of the five carrying one of the children. Jamie carries the cooler Mysterie had packed the lunch and other refreshments in while she carries the bag she's slung over one shoulder; she also carries Luke. Andrew has Noah, Billy has Brianna and Jack carries Randy. Jack puts on a sun hat before leaving, of course, and stays as far from the water as possible. Jamie keeps Jack company under an umbrella while Mysterie plays with the kids, using some toy pails and shovels to show them how to build sand castles. Jack sighs, looking out at the ocean causes flashes of memory from drowning; memories that hit him on the head like a hammer. Jamie keeps close to Jack, trying to distract him from said memories by pointing out the sand castles and talking about his own past attempts. Jack giggles as Jamie describes his "misfortunes" with sandcastles. 

"Wow." Jack decides he wants to try this and sets into playing with the sand near his towel only to scream five minutes later when a wayward crab pinches Jack in a very sensitive spot... Jamie fries the crustacean from the inside out when he sees the thing, forcing it to let go.

"Thank you." The tiny thing is obviously no where near full grown, but that hadn't meant anything really and Jack groans.

"You're welcome."

"Why me?" He turns to what is left of his sand castle, which he'd accidentally demolished when he'd flailed at the little crab's pinch.

"Darn it." Jamie settles next to Jack to help him rebuild the castle. Jack smiles as the kids wander over to join in, making large palace guards that look like sand versions of snowmen. The children giggle happily while Andrew builds his own sand castle a safe distance away from the children while Billy helps. Jack smiles and lays back on the sand, he'd thought he'd been far from the waves, but apparently the tide was coming in and a wave washes over him almost up to his waist suddenly.

"AHHH!" He cries out in alarm, Mysterie just chuckles and builds a little sand wall in front of Jack and around the sides so that most of the water now is forced to flow around him while she helps the kids with their castles. Safe from the water's reach, Jack relaxes in the sand again and falls asleep; at some point Brianna decides it's a good idea to bury him. 


	10. Beach

Mysterie makes sure that the other kids, who join in with her, don't bury him too deep or bury his head. Jack turns lightly, making Luke growl and the boy knocks Jack on the noggin with a heavy rock.

"OW!" 

"Hey. Be nice." Mysterie scolds him. Jack falls straight to sleep again afterwards; Mysterie distracts the kids with other toys that they have once they've buried Jack; Jamie picks up Luke first to take him into the water for his first swim. Luke screams and fights.

"NO NO NO!" Jack wakes up.

"Jamie, I don't think he wants to swim." Jamie ignores Jack and sits with Luke at the water's edge, murmuring soothing to the boy.

"It's okay." Mysterie redirects any crabs that get too close to Jack, saying with a shrug.

"They have to each learn some time, they don't have a reason to fear the water like you do." Jamie doesn't put the boy in the water, simply sitting with him near the edge; soothing him as he holds him.

"It's alright, it won't hurt you." Luke winces, but slowly steps into the water.

"C-cold!!" Jamie chuckles a little.

"Yes, it is cold. It tends to be at first, but I promise you'll get used to it if you play in it long enough." As he steps into it again as the water laps towards his toes a seagull lands on Jack's chest and pecks at his face.

"Ow! What the hell!!" Andrew sends ice at the bird, sending it squawking as it flies off angrily; Luke is now splashing Jamie.

"Fun! Fun! Spwash! Spwash!!" Jamie chuckles, gently splashing the boy back which just causes him to laugh and splash more. Jamie chuckles a little.

"Let's go get your twin shall we? See if we can't convince him to come play in the water too." Jamie stands and takes Luke's hand so the little guy has to follow, he wasn't going to leave Luke in the water by himself until the boy could swim and even then it was never a good idea to swim alone. Randy is a little more fearful of the water than Luke, since like his twin he is made up of Jack's feelings and powers mostly. As before, Jamie stays at the edge of the water with Randy while Luke splashes back in.

"See? Your brother is having fun, it's not hurting him, it won't hurt you." 

"Dada dwowned." Randy whines.

 

 

"I know son, but you will be fine. I won't let you be hurt and your father didn't know how to swim. I'm going to teach the two of you okay?" Randy squirms as the water laps at his toes.

"I'm scwared."

"I know, but it won't hurt you. I promise. I'm right here with you." Jamie murmurs softly, reassuringly, while Luke splashes about, giggling. Randy slowly steps into the water, walking a little deeper to his brother. Jamie joins them in the shallow waves, sitting in the water to be around their height, helping ease Randy into the water while Luke beckons him with an encouraging grin. Randy slowly runs to Luke in the water, suddenly Jack senses danger.

"JAMIE GET THEM OUT OF THE WATER NOW!!" He yells, seeing a gigantic shark fin closing fast, it was huge... Jamie grabs the two before they know what is up and carries them back out of the water, distracting them from the danger by murmuring quietly.

"You two can't stay in the water too much longer or you'll look like little raisins! Let's go play some more in the sand hmm?" Mysterie drives the beast back by sending some sand from beneath the water up in front of it like a solid wall that it rams into. It splashes, shaking and making the water frothy. Unknown to them, Noah had ventured into the water himself after watching Jamie and his brothers have fun.

"Sharky!!" He squeals. Jack gasps, diving over the boy only to be attacked instead as he grabs the boy and tosses him to Mysterie; Jack screams in pain, feeling like he's going to die again as flashback fill his mind, the water turns red from blood as his leg is torn away. Mysterie mutters a curse, slamming the beast in the gills while the rest of her sand works to quickly reattach Jack's leg before he goes into shock and loses too much blood. Andrew flies over and plucks Jack from the water to get him out of harms way as Mysterie deals with the creature; blasting the thing with green fire, scorching its skin and driving it back to the depths it came from while her other arm clutched Noah close protectively and shielded the child from the events. Jack shakes, eyes wide with fear as he is breathing, shallowly and shivering.

"Easy Jack... calm down... you're okay. We're all okay." Andrew murmurs quietly, holding Jack close even as he'd set him back on the sand away from the water; Billy gets a towel to wrap Jack in. Jack groans, shivering, as he now has a new fear. Mysterie moves over to Jack, the kids gathering around trying to comfort him with her.

"Did you kill it?" Jack asks, fearful more of oceans than lakes now.

"Hard to say, but I don't think so." Jack groans.

"Am I still in one piece?" He says, the pain finally registering.

"Yes, fortunately." Jamie, who has joined the group, alleviates the pain as best he can. Jack sighs.

 

 

"Take the little buggers for lunch. I'll be fine." Mysterie nods; Andrew, Billy and she settle the kids down for lunch while Jamie keep Jack company for a while.

"Hey, you look cute when you're all wet Jamie." Jack says, chuckling.

"But nothing beats Mysterie being all gorgeous." He says deliriously, it's how he is feeling now from the events. Jamie flushes a little, chuckling.

"You look cute too when you're wet." Mysterie pretends to not have heard all that as she serves lunch; Jack giggles like a dumb school girl.

"We should probably get you something to eat." Jack smiles at Jamie.

"Okay." Jamie gets up and holds out a hand to Jack with a slight smile. Jack stands up, wobbly as his leg still doesn't think it's back on his body. Jamie helps Jack stand, waiting for the nerves to adjust and realize that they are connected to a limb again. Jack follows Jamie closely as they move towards the group; still shaken about the whole shark incident, Jack sits down and eats a sandwich prepared for him. Mysterie hands him a bottle of water to go with the sandwich while the kids finish their sandwiches. Jack drinks slowly, movement catches his eye and he crushes the bottle.

"It's still out there a-and it has f-friends."

"Calm down Jack, it can't get you or any of us from where it's at." Mysterie says, the thing leaps out of the water; attack birds that get too close and Jack shakes a little as he's sure its cold beady eyes are staring at him. Mysterie gently places a hand on Jack's to get his attention; Jamie, meanwhile, is watching the children play in the sand again. Jack sighs, eating slowly as he takes another bite; he feels a cold air on his neck suddenly. Feeling the coolness too, Mysterie looks around, a little confused; Jack shivers slightly as it makes goosebumps along his spine. She frowns thoughtfully, but doesn't see or sense anything wrong... for the moment. Just as soon as it is there it is gone and Jack calms down; Mysterie wonders what that is about when it passes. Jack sighs, shifting so he's laying on his back again. Mysterie offers the group ice cream for desert, having the choices of vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. Jack chooses the plain vanilla, wincing a little as some sand digs into his still-healing wound when he shifts wrong. Mysterie watches the children eat their ice cream while Jamie winces a little behind his strawberry; Jack licks his ice cream.

"Nom nom." Mysterie chuckles a little.

"Now Jack, I know you like your ice cream but I don't want the children picking up bad habits." Jack glares at her.

"What?" She chuckles a little.


	11. Markus

"The making noises while you eat. It's cute, but not in front of the kids... we don't need them picking that up because you know what will happen if they do. We'll not hear the end of it for a good long while." Jack ignores her as he continues to eat his ice cream. Mysterie looks at Jamie who shrugs, eating his ice cream. Randy crawls over than gets up and walks to Jamie.

"Dada." Jamie looks over at Randy as he walks over to him.

"Something you want?" He climbs up Jamie's leg and knuckle punches him in the balls.

"Randy Frost! You do NOT do that!" Mysterie scolds even as Jamie winces, working on trying to numb the pain he feels from the blow without dropping his ice cream. Jack winces and hugs him in sympathy.

"Ow... geez... what did I do to deserve that?" Randy points to a crab that is clinging to his pants with one claw. Jamie pries the crab from his pants, wincing.

"Randy... next time... please, just warn me." Randy claps, giggling while Jack winces.

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt." 

"Yeah... I can numb some of it... but yeah... that hurt." Jamie tosses the crab aside before it can snap at him; Jack pats his arm in sympathy while the crab scuttles off away from the group; Jamie gives Jack a half smile and goes back to his ice cream, knowing too well that Jack can sympathize... Jack sighs, feeling tired; he lays on the towel and falls asleep in moments. The children begin yawning themselves as the sun starts to set. Mysterie smiles a little and Jamie picks up Jack while she picks up the four sleepy children on sand and they head for home. Jack grunts and twitches in his sleep as he's carried away from the beach. Jamie tucks Jack into bed when they return to the castle before he retreats to his own room with a yawn; Mysterie tucks the kids in before curling up with a good book in the library, not tired yet herself. It is only around midnight does the ticking of the nearest clock seem... almost ominous to her. The lack of noise has gotten to her and she's not sure why. She checks up on the kids before she decides to head to bed; they're perfectly fine, but she can't shake the feeling that something is about to happen. So when she wakes up the next day she does a mental headcount... but everyone is at the castle and fine... She shakes it off as just her imagination when Jamie gives her a funny look. Jack groans as he wakes the next morning.

"God, my head..." He wonders why his head seems to be pounding like a drum. Several days pass by, Andrew leaves to spread snow and deal with a few disputes between elementals. Billy is in his room, the children are playing in the nursery and Jack's with them when it happens, but no one really seems to notice at first... Mysterie is in the kitchen making the next meal for the children when a thought occurs. She hasn't seen Jamie in the last few hours or even heard from him, which isn't unusual really but normally he is with Jack or the kids and Jack is with the kids so... Where is Jamie? Jack has noticed too and wanders into the kitchen.

"Hey hun, you seen Jamie right?" She shakes her head.

 

 

"Not lately. I can't sense him either, which is weird." Jack starts to worry a little, he can sense Jamie faintly.

"I'll go look for him." Jack slowly makes his way to his room.

"Jamie, hey, you alright?" Jamie yawns as he looks around the room, unaware he's there... but not. All Jack sees is an empty room with a bed that doesn't look like it's been slept in.

"Jamie!" Jack is worried now.

"Jamie... where are you?" Jamie leaves the room and heads to the kitchen to pull out something to eat, just a light snack because something feels... off. He takes his snack with him to the nursery... no kids... 

"Hmmm..." Jamie begins searching the castle as he eats, but there is no one around... Jack winces and heads back to the kitchen where he'd last seen his wife.

"Mysterie! Jamie's gone!" He shouts as he comes out of the room; she winces at the shout as she's coming around the corner from searching the rest of the castle, she had begun that when she'd sensed Jack's concern become worry.

"Ow... yeah... I gathered that. The question is... where'd he go?" Jack is clearly worried.

"I can't sense him anywhere... but I sense he is in the castle!!" That was a contradiction in and of itself, fortunately Mysterie understood what he meant; Jack could sense Jamie but not his exact location.

"That's bizarre... to say the least. I mean, how can he be here if we can't find him?" At the same time, Jamie is wondering something similar as he walks through the castle. After a while he spots someone... but it isn't someone he recognizes. The man's blue eyes sparkle like rhinestones as they meet Jamie's; he has blonde hair that is well kept, despite being shoulder length, and he's dressed in a navy polo shirt and khaki shorts.

"Hello Jamie." Jamie frowns slightly.

"Who are you?" He wonders why, despite being in his own home, he feels rather vulnerable in the presence of this strange spirit.

"Oh, I've many names... I prefer Markus, but most call me Desire simply for the fact that I take what I want. I always get what I want too." Jamie doesn't like the sound of that... not one bit... 

"I don't know what's going on, but I don't like it." Jack groans.

 

 

"I'm with you on that one." Mysterie says, Jack worries all the more now; he feels that something isn't right and with every second that passes he feels worse and worse.

"We need answers... let's check the library and see what we can come up with." She heads towards the library and Jack follows her.

"Where am I exactly?" Jamie asks, he feels uneasy.

"What do you mean? You never left your room."

"You know what I mean. This isn't the castle I built, I can tell the difference." 

"Perceptive... very well... you're in my domain. A simple copy of every place and thing in the world... but with, as you can see... no one else in it."

"Why not?" 

"Well, I'm very picky as you should know." Jamie nodded thoughtfully, but what did that have to do with him? There wasn't really much about the spirit known as Desire other than that they existed and supposedly on a different plane of existence, hidden from even most spirits often to do his work without being noticed among any that traversed the spiritual or mortal planes. That was all that Jamie knew of, Desire was one of the more obscure spirits in books on them and not one that many knew anything of really and fewer who existed can say they have even met this spirit.

Flipping through various books, Jack finds one obscure reference.

"Mysterie, do you think Jamie could have been taken by this thing... Desire?" She looks at the book he's holding, thoughtful.

"Maybe. That's one of the few spirits who has no particular allegiance and kind of exists outside the realm of most... sort of like Father Time and Death... but not quite that powerful I'd say... Still, not someone I'd want to run a foul of." 

"What does that have to do with me? You're a collector of things... so I've heard." Jamie says after a moment, he wasn't sure he really wanted to know the answer to that but he needed to ask. 

"You've heard right, but I wanted some company and you match all the things I'm looking for..." Jamie shakes his head.

"Sorry. I'm married." 

"You think that matters? Anyway, there's no where to hide or to run... but if you think you can... by all means. It will only make this more fun." Jamie's gut twists... okay ... this guy is nuts... He takes off like a shot.


	12. Loyal in Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own "Strange & Beautiful (I'll Put a Spell On You)" by Aqualung

Jack feels Jamie's worry over the bond.

"Jamie..." 

Markus smiles, he can sense Jack's worry over Jamie as he was a being who could traverse the two planes so easily. 

"You know, maybe he'll be fun." He says to himself even as he smirks; he can always feel the emotions of those nearby but he's not all that interested in Jack; he isn't after someone of power or looks or even reputation... but there are few who know about Jamie... and Jamie isn't really that powerful in comparison to Mysterie or Jack, except in those rare instances... which makes him the perfect target... and isn't it just so delightful that he's had past experience in such matters when it comes to desire from an unwanted source? Jamie shudders, reminded a little too much of his first experience with Jakoul as he races out of the castle; Markus' amused laughter following him out as he gives chase, purposely giving Jamie a head start. Jamie's heart pounds... not this again... not again... 

Mysterie flips through a book on traversing planes while Jamie flies around the copy of the world, trying to elude the spirit... Jack gasps, feeling the pain of Jamie's fear. Like fire his anger snakes around the spirit and breaks through the veil.

"Whatever you are... if you fucking touch him I will kill you." Jack speaks loudly, his eyes a pure black; Mysterie, oddly enough, can sense that Jack has a connection to whatever the trouble is. Markus only laughs in response to Jack's threat. Jamie stumbles from the memory that assaults him as he slips into a maze of ice caverns, he knows he's being followed. He pants quietly, his heart racing as he slips through the many tunnels, trying to get away, but he hears footsteps behind him constantly and he knows it's only a matter of time... To make matters worse, he begins to hear a song playing out and it sends chills up his spine.

_I've been watching your world from afar_

_I've been trying to be where you are_

_And I've been secretly falling apart_

_Unseen_

_To me, you're strange and you're beautiful_

_You'd be so perfect with me_

_But you just can't see_

_You turn every head but you don't see me_

_I'll put a spell on you_

_You fall asleep_

_And I put a spell on you_

_And when I wake you I'll be the first thing you see_

_And you'll realize that you love me_

 

 

Jack growls as he pulls himself into the plane, his body collapsed while his soul traverses the planes.

"You choose death then." Jack slams Markus angrily in the ice caverns. Jamie can hear Jack's voice as he works to beat Markus to a pulp, not about to let the guy get a word in edgewise. By the time Jamie gets to where the two are, he finds that Jack is choking the spirit with his bare hands. Jamie should have stayed back though because Markus didn't know the meaning of defeat and despite the beating he's taken, he slams Jack back from him. Giving him a moment to heal, which he both needs and wants, then the ice moves; shifting into a maze around the two.

"You shouldn't have come here Jack... this is  **MY** world... Everything here obeys my every whim..." 

"Jack!" Jamie cries out, worried for him, but in the next moment he cries out in surprise as he slips down a newly formed ice slide that takes him straight towards Markus. Jamie struggles to stop, but it's like being human again... he can't teleport... he attempts to make a flame but that fails too to his ever growing terror. Markus chuckles as he catches Jamie and is gone from the ice cavern now, leaving behind two words.

"Game over." 

"JAMIE!!" Jack screams, beating against the walls, flames melting the ice around him.

"WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU...." Markus just chuckles, not at all affected by Jack's open-ended threat. Now he's lounging in a room that isn't really anywhere in the world except where he wants it to be. Jamie is at the far corner, the room doesn't have any windows or doors.

"Now then... Let's make this more pleasant shall we?" Jamie shudders a little as Markus' power seeps into him and he realizes all too well why a lot of people call him Desire of all things.

"Come now... what fun we'll have... and you'll enjoy every moment of it I promise you that." Jamie mutely shakes his head. Jack coughs, shaking in the ice cavern.

"Jamie... please don't listen to him..." His heart reaches out to Jamie to fight... to escape. Jamie quivers, he doesn't want any part of this anymore than he had when he'd been a mortal faced with Shadow and Jakoul. He wants OUT... to be anywhere but here, but the room offers no escape, in fact the more Jamie struggles the smaller the room becomes... slowly forcing him towards Markus. Jack fights Markus' power, growling and Markus senses that Jack is closer than he would like... Unknown to him, all that Jack has been up to until now has prepared him to deal with illusions and Jack slams through one wall.

"Don't ever touch him." Markus struggles to get a hold on his world as Jack fights back, calling over the bond.

 

 

 _"Mysterie, this spirit is one that won't be alive when I'm done with him."_  

 _"Wouldn't expect so..."_ She responds over the bond. Markus chuckles.

"You're smarter than I thought.. seeing through illusions... but not everything here is illusion after all... this world is mine and illusions are just the beginning." Markus slams Jack through the wall, quite literally, as if it isn't there and the room seems to vanish like smoke... but it isn't an illusion as the shifting of the maze had been. Markus hadn't been lying about being able to control the things in this world. Jack screams in anger.

"MARKUS! WHEN I FIND YOU YOU'RE DEAD!!" He shakes with anger, blasting and destroying anything and everything in his way until finally he exhausts himself.

"Just... give me Jamie back... please..." Tears begin falling and Jamie can sense sadness from Jack as it flows in waves over the bond.

 _"Mysterie... I need your help... I just want Jamie back..."_ Jack cries, falling in on himself suddenly; without Jamie or his family... he is falling. After a moment he cries out.

"MARKUS PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! PLEASE! JUST LET ME STAY WITH JAMIE!!" Jack pleads.

"I meant anything.... Please, just let me be with Jamie..." Markus has heard every word and a voice in his own mind pipes up.

 _Awww, come on, he could be a cute pet. Let's keep him too, maybe Jamie will be more willing if you keep him around..._ Mysterie winces, sending a soothing impression to Jack over the bond.

 _"Don't give up love... I will find a way to help... I promise."_   She flips through a book, an idea coming to her. 

Markus rolls his eyes at the voice, but the idea is appealing; he looks at Jamie who is fighting against his power. He considers the ups and downs of this, releasing Jamie from his influence for the moment as he thinks about it. Jamie pants quietly, it is difficult... so very difficult... but there is no way he is going to willingly give in... Not again. Maybe things aren't always idea with Jack, but he'd taken the vow and he means to keep it, he will never let anyone near him like  **that**... no one but Jack... Jack shudders.

"Please... I'll do anything, just let me see Jamie." Jack is practically begging now, he can't handle the emotional stress of this for much longer.

 _"Jack... I think I've found a way out of this... but it's gonna take a lot to do between the two of you..."_ Markus is seriously considering the matter, ignoring Jack for now. Jack shudders.

_"What do you mean?"_


	13. Lost Hope

Jack sniffles, waiting for an answer; meanwhile the more Markus thought of it the more convincing the idea is.

 _Think of the_ _possibilities. Jack is Jamie's weakness and he'll be sort of a treat if he listens. As you know, Jamie is Jack's weakness... come on, he'll be under our control for this._ Markus likes the sound of that, but he's skeptical now.

"Sound as that may be... I know I'm not crazy... Who are you who seems to know so much?" Mysterie describes the spell that she's found, it's an ancient one that takes a lot of energy but can be done under the right circumstances. All that is needed is an old artifact... on that she has no doubt is in Markus' possession called the Twine Stone.

 _Because in order to break Jack you basically must train him. It's easy, he loves Jamie and you control our world. You can poof him in a cage, dull his powers, he is under your power remember?_  

"Please, just let me see Jamie. I promise I won't attack. I just want to see Jamie." Jack groans brokenly. Much as Markus likes the idea, the "voice" has not answered his question and he didn't like that... Irritated at Jack's whining he growls.

"Don't test my patience or you won't ever see him again! He is as he is by my good will now shut it!" 

 _"Jack... ask Jamie if he sees the stone... It should stand out if it's nearby. It looks like a quartz, but with a rainbow hue in it."_ Jack nods, even as the "voice" explains.

 _I am your thinking side, more so your conscious._ Jack shivers and weakly asks over the bond.

 _"Jamie, do you see a stone quartz with a rainbow hue in it?"_ Jamie sends Jack a mental hug even as he glances around, then he nods; wondering why he hasn't notice it before... It's on a necklace Markus is wearing.

_"Yeah... he's wearing it. What about it?"_

_"Get it. It will help us out of here."_ Jack speaks seriously.

 _Come on, maybe a test trial to see how he will listen, huh? If it doesn't work out, boom, lock him up forever._ The voice in Markus' head prompts. Jamie nods thoughtfully, wondering how he is going to get it from the spirit. His powers don't seem to work here.. well... wait... maybe they DID... Just not the normal ones. There is only one way to find out... Jamie doesn't like using the influential powers... but... it might be his own saving grace this one time, he shuts his eyes, concentrating.

"Hmmm... well, it can't hurt... First let's change up a few things though... can't simply summon the winter spirit here without leverage." He murmurs to himself.

 

 

Before Jamie can realize what's going on, Markus moves over to him and pulls off the necklace; he duplicates it without any trouble and slips it over Jamie's neck. 

"There now. You're linked to me with this stone. You'll be good, won't you pet?" Jamie fights against the power from the stone, fuming at this unexpected turn of events. 

"Jamie." Jack is worried, the voice in Markus chuckles.

 _Good idea._ Jack is lost in this world, trying to find Jamie, to talk to him.

 _"Jamie, what's going on!"_ In an instant the world around Jack shifts, Jamie kneels next to Markus; having been force to by the other's will. There is a sort of throne that Markus sits on, one hand on Jamie's head, the other absently toying with the crystal at the end of the necklace.

"So Frost... you wanted to see my latest addition?" Jack glares at Markus, but his expression becomes one of worry as he looks at Jamie. He stays where he's at.

"Please... just let me stay with Jamie." Jack bows his head, he can't take this... it is breaking him and Markus knows it.

"Now that all depends. I've been giving it some thought. While I do control this world, it's more taxing to control other beings. Tell me... what could you possibly offer in return for my allowing you to remain here?" Jamie beats against the power, this is ridiculous! Jack can't stay in this place! He needs that crystal! But how is Jamie going to get it now? He is all but powerless and it frustrates him to no end.

"For Jamie... anything. I'll even give you some of my power to be strong. I'll give my life for Jamie. I'll serve you. Anything, just let me be with Jamie." Jack sniffs.

"I'll listen. I won't fight... I'll do what you want... whatever you want... just let me stay with him." The voice in Markus chuckles.

 _See? Take that from him and he's yours to use as you wish._ Jamie winces, reaching out over the bond.

 _"Jack, no! You can't!"_ Markus considers this a moment.

"Hmmmm, an interesting offer but I'm not interested in your power or you really. Although... if you could ensure his obedience, then perhaps you'll have some use." Jack nods.

 _"Jamie, I can't leave you alone."_ Jack stays as he is for a moment before murmuring.

 

 

"As you wish." He walks over to Jamie and sits by him.

"Just do it, okay Jamie? I can't live without you." Jamie shakes slightly, trying to fight the control; even as he responds over the bond.

_"I can't... I won't... I won't break another promise!"_

"Please, it will be okay Jamie. I'll still be here, just give in." Jack says, it is evident over the bond to both Jamie and Mysterie that Jack has lost all hope in fighting.

"Please Jamie... it will be ok." 

 _"No... this isn't right... I just... I can't... I couldn't live with myself if I did..."_ Jamie replies over the bond; Mysterie, waiting on the other side, is deeply worried.

 _"Jack? What's going on?"_ Jack doesn't reply, there's no longer a connection to him and her now.

"Please, Jamie... for me. It's going to be ok." 

"Let's test this out shall we?" Markus forces Jamie to follow him to a separate room, while Jamie rages against the power.

 _"I can't!"_ Jamie cries in helpless rage over the bond. Jack doesn't move, he sniffs.

"I'm sorry... please forgive me." 

 _"You can't... I can't..."_ Jamie whimpers over the bond, still struggling against the power; Jack winces as his mind screams for him to help Jamie, but his heart beat out that he should stay with him, no matter what the cost. Jack whines, torn in two. Jamie, desperate now, manages to break the power over him for a brief moment as his own flares against the force controlling him. Markus lets out a cry of pain as Jamie socks him good and snags the crystal, he teleports it to the room Jack's in. It clatters to the floor.

"Insolant!" Markus roars in anger, too hurt to realize the crystal is gone; Jamie winces at the resulting return blow but it is preferable to what the other spirit wants of him... he can't do that... never...

"Jamie." Jack whines.

"Please... stop, please." He begs, wincing from the pain he senses from Jamie.


	14. Back Home

"Don't... I'm sorry! I'll get him to be good! Please!" Jamie can sense Jack's hopelessness.

 _Come on, let's not bruise his pretty face._ Markus heard the "voice" in his head. Jack sees the crystal and he reaches for it; Markus feels weaker as Jack holds it.

"NOOOOO!!!!" Markus growls, realizing the stone is gone; it isn't his power exactly, but has served like an amplifier at times. Like when he had duplicated it to subjugate Jamie. It's true power is something else, it has the power to duplicate anything, including itself; Jamie nurses the bruise on his cheek, saying over the bond.

 _"Whatever you need the crystal for... do it... do it while you have a chance!"_ Jamie grapples with Markus, struggling against the other who is bound and determined to get what he wants... crystal or no. Marks pins Jamie down against the bed with a slight glare.

"That blow will be nothing that I'll give that little winter spirit if you don't do as I say." Jamie winces, crumpling beneath the threat... he doesn't want this... but he doesn't want Jack hurt either... Conflict wars in his mind and he curls up inside his mind as he realizes now he has no choice... Jack groans, glaring at the crystal; his anger surging through the crystal and destroying the world around him with a blast. Jack holds Jamie to him while Markus finds himself chained down by ice.

"I want to go home!!" Jack yells, the crystal glowed in his hand as Jack stares at him.

"Your time is up Markus." The necklace around Jamie's neck breaks as did Markus' bond to him; Markus and his world fades as the two are returned to their world, severing the connection with the crystal. Markus almost feels as if a part of him is dying as Jack smashes the crystal once the two of them are back.  
  
"JAMIE!!" Jack tackles him in a hug, back in his own body again. Jamie clings to Jack, burying his head against him; shaking from the close call. 

"Jamie, I'll never let anything take you. I promise. Never ever." Jack sniffs, comforting him.

 _"Mysterie, can you bring me a blanket and a wash cloth?"_  Blood dripped from some of the wounds he'd sustained in the other world. Mysterie nods, she cleans up the shards of the crystal too... or what is left of it. Jamie doesn't say anything, nuzzling against Jack like a child. Jack hushes him and reassures him.

"It's okay, he's gone and if he's not I'll kill him. I won't let anyone touch you. Never." As he pets Jamie's head the kids come running in and head straight for Jamie.

"DADA!!" They hug him tightly.

 

 

"We missed woo dada." Jamie manages a small smile for the kids, though inwardly he's still shaken from the experience. Jack smiles at them.

"Hey, daddy's got to lay down for a bit; he had a bad experience okay?" They all nod.

"LET'S MAKE GET WELL CARDS!" Brianna pipes up and Jack smiles.

"Alright then, I'll be with you in a moment." He picks Jamie up bridal style and walks to his own room.

"That's a good idea, come on. I'm sure Billy would like to make one too." Mysterie smiles, leading the kids to another room and getting the supplies; though she doesn't show it she's concerned for Jamie. She had no idea what had happened to shake him up so badly. Jamie curls into Jack, trying to forget what had almost happened; Jack hushes Jamie, petting his hair and hugging him close as he slowly starts to sing a lullaby he'd heard his mother sang to his sister. Jamie listens to the song, quietly crying; relaxing in the embrace. He quivers, desperately needing the comfort Jack offers; after a moment his tears dry and he shifts to gently kiss Jack who returns the kiss.

"Sleep tight sweet sunshine." He says before falling into an exhausted sleep; as a last resort, Markus had stabbed Jack and the wound is bleeding freely... he's losing too much blood. Jamie nuzzles against Jack, noticing the wound... and that small bit of the crystal that seems to have gotten stuck... He picks the shard out of the wound that closes when he asks the shard to duplicate healed skin, unaware just how much blood Jack has lost before that. Jack breathes shallowly, the crystal is useful beyond duplicating things as it can do nearly anything with the right power, even bring someone back to life but it all depended on the user. When the kids are settled for a nap, Mysterie works on piecing the crystal back; unaware that she is missing a shard because it is lying on the floor of the bedroom where Jack and Jamie are. Billy walks barefoot into the library where Mysterie is, unaware of a shard left on the floor, he yelps suddenly. The shard embedded in his skin.

"Mysterie, is there glass on the floor?" She looks up from where she sits at a table with the crystal.

"Shouldn't be... oh... um... let me see your foot." She lifts Billy up from the floor, another shard she'd missed.

"Sorry about that... could have sworn I picked it all up." She carefully takes the shard and heals the small wound.

"Okay." Billy walks back to his room, tired and groaning in slight pain as the wound knits itself together quickly. Jamie whimpers a little in his sleep from the inevitable nightmares. Jack slices and obliterates the nightmares, holding Jamie in his dreams as he'd managed to get into them.

_"I got you, he's gone. He can't hurt you no more. I'm here for you Jamie." Jamie clings to him in the dream._

_"I love you Jack... I could never betray you like that... ever..." He manages to whimper softly as he holds tight to him; Jack brushes his tears away._

_"I know. I couldn't live without you." Jamie just hugs Jack tight._

 

 

The next morning Jack feels tired, but he knows that he has to make breakfast; Jamie clings to Jack in his sleep, keeping him from moving. Jack sighs and holds him close.

"Hey, it's okay Jamie. Come on, I'm just making breakfast." Jamie just nuzzles closer in his sleep. Jack sighs and falls back into the bed, hugging Jamie close to his heart as he begins to fall asleep again; he is sobbing now, as everything hits him.

"I wasn't there when you needed me most..." Jamie's grip on Jack tightens a little; clinging to him in his sleep.

"I know Jamie, I love you." Jack hugs him close.

"But I promise I won't leave you alone ever again." Jack says before falling asleep again. A few hours later he wakes up to the kids.

"WAKE UP DADA! WAKE UP DADDIE!!!" They are jumping on Jack and the bed with their get-well cards.

"I'm up, I'm up." Jamie groans a little, mumbling.

"Five more minutes..." 

"GET UP DADA!" They all coo.

"Get up, get up, it's time to wake up." Randy opens one of Jack's eyelids.

"Daddie's tired." Mysterie comes in with something for them both to eat on trays.

"I see some munchkins have beat me here. Go on now you four, Billy has a game set up for you and your daddies need to eat in peace okay?" 

"YAY!!" They all yell even as Jack groans.

"Five more minutes mommy..." Mysterie shoos the group out gently before chuckling softly. Jamie groans a little, cracking open an eye at the smell of food as his stomach tells him it wants to be fed. Jack whines, waking up as his stomach roars at him like 'feed me!' He looks tiredly at the food she's holding.

"Eggs and bacon." 

"Thought you two might be hungry. So I made breakfast for you. After that you two should get some more rest."


	15. Darkness' Reward

Mysterie sets the trays before the two of them with her hand once they are both sitting up in the bed, she notices the shard on the floor; one of the kids had kicked it and it had caught her eye. Her sand picks it up and she tucks the missing shard away for now. Jack slowly eats, shivering as he feels that cold feeling again. Mysterie feels it to when she's healed the crystal completely; it isn't the crystal... and she has the sinking feeling that this isn't over... Markus wasn't one to give up so easily... Jack groans.

"S-something's not right..." She wonders what might happen now as she slips the crystal around her neck, tucking the thing out of sight. Jack shudders, he doesn't like this feeling and he clutches onto Jamie; afraid to do anything now, afraid that this reality isn't real. Jamie hugs Jack close, sensing his fear and it compounds his own; he whimpers slightly even when Mysterie sends soothing impressionist to them both. Jack calms slightly and picks up Jamie before walking down stairs, if a bit shakily. Jamie clings to Jack, shaking a little.

"It's okay. We're gonna visit the kids, come on." Jack tries to pry Jamie off him so that he can at least sit down.

"J-jamie, come on now." After a moment Jamie allows Jack to put him down but he stays close. Jack pushes him forward to the kids.

"DADA!" The four run to Jamie and Jack; Jamie stumbles a little, but recovers as the four cling to his legs.

"H-hey there. What are you all up to?" The four giggle.

"LOOK! PWESENT FOR DADA!!" The boys brought in a scribbled drawing and backwards letters that said "to papa, get well soon from Brianna, Luke, Randy and Noah" in various colored crayon.

"Thank you, it's very nice." Jamie smiles a little, Jack smiles at the gift for Jamie but he feels off; he groans.

"Excuse me a minute." He goes to the bathroom, splashing water in his face; he only feels pain though, like maggots are crawling inside him or something. Jamie shivers, but tries to keep his fear down as he focuses on the picture the kids have made him; curious as to what is going on, Mystrie goes over to the bathroom and waits for Jack to come out. Jack moans in protest as he feels weak, his vision tunneling as he comes out of the bathroom.

"What's g-going on..." 

"I was wondering that myself." She catches Jack as he drops off suddenly, it is a distraction only... a temporary "cold" to put Jack out for a while. Markus wants his crystal back... Mysterie carries him back up stairs, slightly concerned that he's out cold; Jamie is concerned too, but he stays with the children if only to keep them from being concerned. Jack shudders in his sleep. Markus needs the crystal and he still wants Jamie.... What better way than to take over the body of the frost spirit for a while? Jack whines, tossing and turning as he shakes, fighting the pain that is slowly consuming him. Markus has to fight to get control; Jack really does have a resistance to his illusions... so he employs the use of the twin ability of causing pain and pleasure to take his control of the frost spirit... sending out some pain to make Jack back down a little and rewarding him with the pleasure when he does so. Jack groans.

 

 

"No... please..." Jack fights tooth and nail, but the pain becomes too much, eventually and when he backs down the pleasure flourishes and as soon as Markus takes control he can feel Jack's power.

 _God... feel that? Wouldn't it be nice to feel this every day... and better yet then have Jamie and power._ Markus' conscious whispers to him. Markus smirks.

 _"I could get use to this actually... maybe I'll spend a little while in this body while I figure out how to get that crystal back without arousing suspicions... Speaking of which... let's test this out on the little light spirit... Surely he'd love nothing more than cuddles from Jack..."_ Markus snickers a little to himself before he shifts through a few of Jack's memories on how to act so not to be caught... Oh right... he is supposed to be feeling a little sick... couldn't do to act too well too soon... but that doesn't mean he can't indulge a little... He strides the nursery room with a small smile on his/Jack's lips. He is going to enjoy making that light spirit squirm... Jack whines, trying to fight Markus but unable as he is chained inside his own body.

 _"STOP!!"_ Jack cries, but it hurts as the twin ability makes him feel pain until he stops fighting and then he feels good.

_"Jamie! Run! Please run!!"_

"Hey kiddos, why don't you give your daddy a break? He's had a hard couple of days." Markus says with a smile and the children nod, smiling back. They can't tell the difference and Jamie moves over to Jack with a slight smile, murmuring quietly.

"Thanks." Markus chuckles in his mind.

 _Oh don't thank me yet..._ He thinks but says aloud.

"Come on, you look tired." Jamie nods, yawning a little and heads back to the bedroom with Markus following behind. 

 _"MARKUS STOP!"_ Jack cries, pulling fruitlessly at his chains only to feel more pain to quiet him, but it's not enough for Jamie to see the fight in his eyes.

 _"Pipe down Frost, just enjoy the show."_ Markus says to Jack as the two settle into the bed together; Jamie drifts off to sleep, but Markus takes the chance presented to him to slowly undress Jamie once the other spirit is out for the count.

"So lovely..." He purrs softly as he uses Jack's hands to slide over Jamie's body. 

 _"Stop! Please stop!"_ Jack growls, pulling more and more as pleasure slowly overcomes him and he can feel his body becoming aroused.

 _"No! Please quit!"_ Jamie shifts in his sleep a little as the touch is arousing him, he lets out a soft moan as Markus strokes his slowly hardening member; he ignores Jack, murmuring softly as Jamie arches a little.

 

 

"Yes Jamie... that's it... surrender to the pleasure...." 

 _"Stop stop stop!"_ Jack whines and begs, but even as he struggles in the shackles he can feel his body's response to Jamie. Markus continues stroking Jamie, flipping through Jack's memories to find the things that will make the light spirit squirm beneath the touch... After a moment Jamie is pulled from his sleep, he groans; arching into the touch more.

"Jack..." Jack groans, feeling pleasure even though he fights to keep his mind closed, to keep Markus from accessing his memories.

_"STOP! GET OUT OF ME!!!"_

_"Oh no... I think we're going to have lots of "fun" you and I Guardian of Fun..."_ Markus chuckles inwardly as he strokes Jamie faster, even shifting to use Jack's powers to summon a small vine to curl around Jamie's hard cock to continue stroking while he slips his fingers into Jamie, searching out that sensitive spot that makes Jamie cry out and squirm restlessly in pleasure. Jack growls angrily at Markus, struggling more with the chains only to feel waves of pleasure and euphoria that he can't help but feel from his own arousal in reaction to Jamie's.

 _"S-stop! Jamie it's not me!!"_ Jack cries, fighting against the pleasurable feelings as much as possible.

 _"Don't fight it Jack... after all... you know you like this."_ Markus chuckles even as he's aroused by the sight of Jamie squirming. Oh how he's wanted this before... now he will take his reward. He hadn't originally planned this yet but he slips out of the clothes the winter spirit wears and rubs Jack's hardening member along Jamie's thigh even as he slips a third finger into Jamie who spreads his legs even as he arches; whimpering and groaning from the pleasure. Jack whines as he feels the pleasure increase more and more.

 _"JAMIE'S MINE THOUGH! MINE! STOP THIS! GET OUT!!"_ Jack screams, it is loud enough to echo over the bond.

"Jack?" Jamie mutters in confusion, but Markus pulls out the fingers and slams into Jamie before the light spirit's mind can clear; he cries out from the pleasure as Markus thrusts into him, hitting that sensitive spot. Jack calls out to Jamie over the bond.

 _"STOP! THAT'S NOT ME! IT'S MARKUS!!"_ His words ring in Jamie's mind, Jamie's mind struggles to make sense of it as Markus slams into him; making thinking all but impossible and Markus slams Jack with the pleasure he feels through Jack's body to silence him as Jamie squirms beneath him. Jack gasps, struggling and managing to stop the next slam as he takes control just long enough to manage on a groan.

"Wow he is strong... Jamie, it's not me... M-markus... taking control..." Jack groans, trying to pull away but he can't as Markus takes back control again. Jamie blinks, but Markus slams Jack with a mindless force of pleasure; knocking him senseless for a moment so he gets control again. He murmurs seductively as he continues his thrusts.

"Come on Jamie... cum for me..." He purrs and Jamie shudders as his body responds in pleasure. Jack groans, not having expected the force of pleasure as he lays limp and tired in the chains; he cries out, trying to reach Jamie again. Jamie shudders, lost to the pleasure now and he cries out as the pleasure slams into him hard, even as Jack's body quivers with the climax.


	16. The Other World

Jack cries as he feels his body give in, releasing into Jamie.

 _"No no no..."_ He shakes his head even as the pleasure laps at him like waves.

 _"GET OUT OF ME NOW!!!"_ Jack cries, struggling with renewed vigor.

 _"I think not."_ Markus smirks with satisfaction; he lay against Jamie a moment, relishing his first victory before pulling back. Jack winces, crying all the while as he struggles against the mind chains, one snaps, causing Markus severe pain.

 _"GET OUT! I MEAN IT MARKUS! GET OUT OF ME!!"_ Markus sends pain through Jack to get him to back down again; Jack winces, fighting back, he isn't backing down so easily. Markus alternates between pain and pleasure again, causing Jack to whine.

 _"Stop..."_ Jack can't take them both, but he keeps fighting; Markus continues alternating to beat Jack back into submission.

 _"Once I have what I want, I'll leave."_ Jack growls and calls for Mysterie, believing Markus has forgotten that she can sense his troubles.

 _"MYSTERIE! MARKUS IS INSIDE ME! GET HIM OUT! HE'S HERE FOR THE JEWEL AND JAMIE!"_ Jack cries; alarmed, Mysterie heads for the room.

 _"Tsk, tsk... well you've sped things up I suppose...."_ Mysterie reaches the room only to find no one inside and she groans when she realizes what's happened; Jack struggles, fighting.

 _"GET OUT MARKUS! NOW!"_ He yells, it hurt... fighting for his body as it is.

 _"Not just yet..."_ Come the reply as Markus leaves for the bathroom and settles into a tub of semi warm water, bathing a while before he decides to take the opportunity to use Jack's hands on himself, sending pleasure through him and Jack; Jack struggles.

 _"Stop, stop!"_ Jack fights, but the pleasure becomes too much very quickly and he's still too weak from fighting before; Markus' conscious gently prods.

 _You know you can control more of the world through Jack's body, after all he is son of MiM, the moon, and Mother Nature."_ Jack yells in anger.

 _"A thought."_ The thought doesn't last though though as he lavishes Jack's body with pleasure.

"That's a good boy... see how much better this is?" Markus purrs as he quickens his strokes of Jack's hard member. Jack whines, a groan follows as he's restless and it feels so good.

 

 

 _"_ _Stop, please..."_ Jack cries, whimpering even as he submits under the pleasure.

"Oh you really don't want that; admit it Jack, you want more." Markus purrs as he summons a bit of vine to slip into Jack to find that sensitive spot. Jack cries out, whining and trying to fight but he can't take it; his body is too oversensitive.

 _"MYSTERIE!!"_ He cries out for her, but Markus chuckles.

"Oh I dealt with her already... and with Jamie asleep... just you and me..." The vine prods the sensitive spot as Markus continues to stroke Jack's length; Jack struggles in the chains, squirming.

 _"Stop."_ Jack fights the pleasure, but it's proving difficult as his body reacts more and more to the pleasure. Markus uses the vine as a tool to thrust against that spot, increasing the pleasure; he isn't going to stop until Jack's body gives in and releases. Jack whines, whimpers and squirms.

 _"S-stooooP!"_ Jack yells out, all too soon he cums in the water, turning some of it a milky white; Jack pants heavily.

 _"No... no no..."_ He cries; Markus dismisses the vine and steps from the water with a sigh.

"That was wonderful Jack." He dries off; Jack is slowly cracking mentally.

 _"W-what else do you want?"_  Jack asks, believing that he doesn't just want Jamie and the crystal now.

"That's for me to know." Jack growls.

 _"Whatever it is you want don't even think about it."_ Jack snarls, struggling from the chains, but guilt eats its way at him; he had enjoyed that... 

"Oh it has nothing to do with you or Jamie, so don't fuss." Jack shakes; he doesn't like this. Wincing, Jack goes back to struggling to regain control again. Meanwhile, Billy is watching the kids for the three of them along with Andrew.

"Hey Andrew, have you seen Mysterie, Jamie or Jack?"

"I think Jamie's sleeping and Jack was with him last." Andrew replies after a moment's thought.

"Hmmm... well, it's been lovely Jack, but I have a crystal to consult. Enjoy your day frost spirit..." Markus chuckles as he retreats from Jack and goes back to the other world. 

 

 

Jack shudders, collapsing where he's at.

"Jamie... Mysterie..." He gasps, shaking as he realizes what he's done... what Markus has done to him and he cries, shaking.

"Jamie...." 

Jamie searches the castle in desperation, feeling only a margin of relief when he runs into Mysterie.

"Oh great... you too huh?" Jamie nods. Jack snarls, his sudden anger is felt across the bond.

"H-how did I get there before..." He mutters to himself as he searches the books he vaguely remembers he and Mysterie went through the first time.

"Aha!" He explains to both Andrew and Billy the trouble.

"Alright, it won't be easy but we'll watch out for you." Andrew says once Jack is done explaining to them. Billy takes care of the kids while Andrew connects to Jamie; slowly and carefully Jack's body is sent to that world along with Andrew.

"Did it work?" Andrew asks as he glances around; to him everything seems the same. Markus is chasing Jamie and Mysterie around the world, trying to get back the crystal. He's managed to corner Jamie in a doorless room for the time being, but he's more concerned about the crystal at the moment. Jack looks about the empty castle.

"Yes." He snarls, his eyes turn bloody red.

"We are here." Andrew feels unnerved at that, meanwhile Mysterie dodges Markus in the copy of the Workshop; remembering things that the other spirit doesn't know about the place and eluding him thus far... until he makes the entire building just disappear.

"Ah shit..." She takes off into the air, before Markus can capture her Jack is next to him; slamming into him and breaking his bones against trees, swinging the spirit around like a rag doll.

"DIE!" Jack screams, summoning ice to slice and cut Markus up; surprised by the blows, he barely doges the next one, skirting around Jack to freeze Mysterie in ice to keep her from escaping the area. Andrew, having followed Jack, makes a vain attempt to free her while Markus deals with Jack. 

"I warned you Markus." Jack's eyes are a hell fire red, he shoots vines and fire, it engulfs the spirit and then he starts to drown him and burn him at the same time; shoving plant toxins down his throat; the spirit could barely stop the pain that was suddenly being thrust as Jack sends him through hell and back. Markus manages to push back, some how, and sends the torture back at Jack. 


	17. Unexpected Truth

"Seems you didn't learn, did you? This world is MINE Jackson! MINE!" The wind drops from beneath Jack while Markus uses it to move over to the ice Mysterie is frozen in; he pushes Andrew out of the way and sticks his hand into the frozen cage, snagging the crystal and yanking it away like the ice isn't even there. His eyes flash with power as he reclaims it. Jack growls.

"No, I think you forget who you're dealing with." The crystal is blasted to smithereens by Jack's power in a single blast of ice lightening; with the crystal in pieces again, the illusion cracks and the figure Jack had been fighting disappears.

"You still haven't learned, but at least he is gone... for now." An exact copy moves out from behind Mysterie's frozen prison. He lightly touches a hand to it, releasing her from it; Andrew stares in confusion at this new Markus that seems to be before them. He's less intimidating in the way he stands and looks a little disheveled and has a sort of grace that the other seems to have lacked.

"Wait a minute... there were TWO of you?!" Andrew says after a moment as Jack jumps in surprise.

"What the! ... If you're Markus then w-who was that!" Markus gives Jack a faint smile.

"Another version. About a millennia ago I became rather lonely and decided that perhaps if there were two of me I could do my work better and have someone to talk with. It was a mistake. He grew resentful. Wanted nothing to do with me and began to desire things that weren't his to take. Sadly, being a replica of me he had the same powers I did and I could not stop him. He took the crystal before I could destroy it as you just have. It had to be destroyed here to destroy him. I am sorry, Guardians, that you were dragged into this mess." Jack breathes heavily.

"It's okay... but if he touches Jamie again I'll make sure your creation dies." 

"Oh heavens no. I am NOT creating another of me, one is enough. Although... perchance you would allow me to make one of each of you? Simply for company of course. I don't get many visitors here. I'll make it so they don't remember being anywhere else and, of course, lacking your full powers so in the odd event they turn out as he did they won't be able to cause any harm." Jack thinks about that for a minute.

"I guess." He looks at Jamie, Mysterie and Andrew.

"I don't have a problem with it. I mean... no one deserves that kind of loneliness." Andrew replies.

"I agree." Mysterie says, Jamie is a little hesitant but he nods. Jack hugs Jamie and nods, glancing back to Markus.

"Alright."

 

 

"Alright then. You'll feel a little tingly, but nothing more. The clones will be asleep too until you leave. No sense in shocking them by finding themselves face to face with their progenitors eh?" Markus works his magic and off to one side of him the duplicates slowly appear. Each curled in blissful sleep of ignorance; knowing only what Markus has allowed them to know. Having no memory of the lives any of the originals have led. Like new spirits, ignorant of the world that awaits them and the one they will call home.

"There now. I shall send you back as well. I imagine you all will want some peace and quiet after this ordeal. Again, I am truly sorry for this trouble. Fair thee well." The scenery shifts and each one of them is back at the castle again with the kids who run up to greet them enthusiastically as usual. Jack feels woozy and collapses, the kids shout in fear; Jamie catches him.

"It's okay dears, he's just tired is all." Mysterie says to soothe them, Jamie nods; taking Jack to the bedroom with him. Seems to be a trend the last few weeks; Andrew distracts the children by promising them a story and they follow him back to the nursery to hear it. Jack groans.

"Jamie..." He hugs him tightly.

"Hmmm?"

"Are you okay?" He asks, caring only for Jamie, Mysterie, and Andrew's well being at the moment as he realizes he couldn't stop Markus from controlling him.

"I'm fine Jack. We all are, thanks to you." He replies gently. Jack nods slowly; he's covered in blood, hurt and scarred beyond belief. Jamie cleans Jack up, changing him into a clean set of clothes before settling him on the bed. He settles next to him, slipping an arm around him. Jack falls asleep with Jamie nearby. It's a few weeks before everything returns to normal and the three of them stop worrying every time they wake up that they won't be in the world they know. Jamie stays close to Jack the entire time. Jack slowly changes Brianna's diapers, tired from not having slept well the night before.

"Oh man... that's a stinky one... even for a lady..." Jamie comments as he changes Randy nearby; Jack nods.

"Yep." He cleans Brianna up and nearly tosses her in the garbage can instead of the diaper but he snaps to soon enough to realize he's holding a baby and sets her with her brother, Luke. Mysterie picks up Luke and Brianna, who have both been changed, with her sand while she finishes up with Noah.

"I think you need more sleep sweetheart.  _Restful_ sleep." 

"Nah, nah. I'll be fine." Jack says, then yawns; the truth is that he is still afraid to sleep. Worried that what had happened would again and he didn't think he'd be sane without Mysterie and Jamie.

 

 

"She's right though. You do need it; you know as well as we do that you can only go so many nights without needing sleep." Jack nods.

"I'll be f-fine." Jamie looks over at Mysterie who nods a little and hands Noah over to him before dousing Jack with the strongest sleep sand she has. She doesn't know how long it will last, but Jack really needs it; Jack groans as the sand hits him.

"You son of-" He can't even finish his sentence before she has to catch him before he falls as he drops off.

"Yeah... he's not going to be happy with me, but he'll feel better for it." She sighs, carrying him to the nearest bedroom and settling next to him for a nap herself while Jamie and Billy watch the kids. Andrew is out spreading snow again. Jack coughs in his sleep, feeling as if he's detached from reality. Mysterie sends reassurances into Jack's dreams every now and again as she lays next to him, relaxed. Jack calms down slowly and drifts into a sound sleep; Brianna begins crying in the nursery as she has lost her first tooth.

"It's okay sweetie. You'll get to see Tooth tonight... maybe Baby Tooth will come visit you. They take care of your teeth for you." Jamie murmurs reassuringly while Andrew gets her some ice cream to eat to numb her mouth a little and soothe the ache. Seeing this, the boys get a little jealous.

"I wan icecweam!" Luke says and Andrew looks at Jamie for permission, he nods a little and Andrew looks back at them.

"Well, what flavor do you want? Chocolate, vanilla or strawberry?" 

"Choc choc." It's all Randy can pronounce for chocolate.

"Van-vanilla." Luke says.

"Strawberrie." Noah replies even as Jack moans in his sleep, he looks rumpled from it; Mysterie squeezes one of his hands, sending a wave of reassurance to him. Jack sighs, calming, and for the rest of the night he sleeps well. 

"Okay, sit tight and I'll be back with them okay?" Andrew leaves the room to get the three. The following morning Jack wakes up with Mysterie in his arms, she smiles a little when he wakes, having guarded his dreams during the night.

"Morning." He stretches, noticing he's still where he had hoped to be.

"I guess I'll be making breakfast then."

"Sounds good to me." Jack slowly gets up and then walks downstairs, he slowly makes breakfast; humming as if nothing had happened the week before. She goes downstairs to the nursery with a smile; Tooth is there, cooing quietly over Brianna and her first lost tooth. The boys are still sound asleep but Brianna gives Tooth a smile.


	18. Tooth and Pixie Trouble

"Pwetty." She giggles at Tooth while Jack hums, making a normal breakfast of french toast and pancakes with chocolate chips. He gasps a bit when he realizes what he's done...

"Crap, Tooth's likely here and she'll kill me." Mysterie sends back a reassurance that Tooth is most definitely not going to kill Jack for making a normal breakfast, especially when she's so thrilled over how good Brianna's tooth is.

"You're so cute... you remind me of Sophie. I promise I'll keep your teeth safe for you okay? I'll try and visit sometime and not just when you lose a tooth." Brianna giggles.

"Oooh." She almost caught Baby Tooth as Jack is setting up breakfast in the dinning room. Mysterie chuckles.

"Be nice to Baby Tooth, no grabbing her. She'll land on your hand if you hold it steady though." Brianna does as Tooth asks, giggling happily as Baby Tooth perches on her hand, chattering happily at the child.

"Okay, I think it's time for breakfast. Was good to see you Tooth, you should drop by more often."

"I hope to. Come on Baby Tooth, let's see Jack before we leave." They zip out of the room while Mysterie picks up Brianna and the boys, who are just waking up. Jack has a gigantic stack of pancakes on the plate and has set up the kid's plates with already-cut-up-pancakes with a little bit of syrup, leaving plates for Billy, Mysterie and Jamie to help themselves with.

"Hey Jack! How are you?" Tooth asks when she enters the dinning room; Jack smiles.

"Hey Tooth, just great." Jack looks like a little housewife in the sky-blue apron and with some color to his cheeks as well as batter on his face as he heads to the kitchen, holding a towel he intends to clean the stove up with. Tooth notices this but doesn't say anything on it.

"You're looking well. I'm so glad to see the children again. They've gotten so big last I saw them!" Baby Tooth chitters happily at Jack while Mysterie carries the four munchkins to the dinning room and sets them at their places at the table as Jamie and Billy come in. Tooth notices Billy come into the kitchen.

"Hey, I don't think I've met you before have I? I'm Tooth." She flutters over to Billy while Baby Tooth chirps happily at Jack who smiles at her.

"Hey Baby Tooth." Billy flinches at Tooth, he prefers to stay away from bright color since his alone time on the island. Mysterie goes into the kitchen when Billy doesn't return right away for breakfast.

"Ah... this is Billy, Tooth, he's kinda not use to bright colors. Doesn't really like them that much." 

 

 

"Oh, sorry." Tooth gives Billy a bit of a sheepish look and moves a fair distance from him. The boy flinches.

"It's ok... I.." He stutters for words.

"You know... just not used to bright colors, it was always dark on that island and any color is a monstrous beast."

"Ah, well I promise I on't hurt you. I was just mostly here for Brianna's tooth. It's nice meeting you though. I should probably be off now. See you all later." Jamie, Mysterie and the children wave goodbye to Tooth; Baby Tooth chirps farewell before zipping off after her mother. Everyone sits down to breakfast; Billy eats timidly and as Jack is eating he feels a bit of cold air. He feels like screaming and crying all of a sudden, which he does for a span of 30 seconds before resuming eating as if nothing had happened. Jamie and Mysterie exchange a look of confused alarm; Jack looks at them.

"What?" He looks confused.

"That's kinda what we want to know..." Jamie says after a moment.

"What? Really, I don't know what your deal is." Again, for 30 seconds, he shows fear then anger, he smashes his plate and when it passes he looked shocked.

"Hey... what happened to my plate? This was my favorite china." 

"I don't know... but something is a little strange here... hun... I think maybe you should lie down. Not sleep necessarily... but just... relax." Jack sighs.

"Nah, I'll just get another plate." He cleans up the glass slowly other emotions start to show, the next two are love and disgust at the same time. Jack moves over to kiss Jamie before slapping him.

"Ow... okay... something is definitely going on here." Jamie says as he rubs his cheek. Jack giggled as next came happiness along with some smarts, which really wasn't an emotion exactly...

"If I may say, I am being attacked by em-" He's cut off as like the previous it only lasted 30 seconds before Jack is back to himself again. Mysterie frowns thoughtfully. 

"Attacked by..." Jack then goes to anguish.

"I DON'T KNOW! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!" He screams and then runs off like a teenage girl who just got dumped.

 

 

"Bad pixie! Go 'way! Weave daddy 'lone!" Brianna bats at something in the air... it looks silly, but she obviously is trying to hit something and the others are too. Jack goes upstairs, the pixies... or whatever the children can see, follow him. Randy flies after them, brandishing his spoon and whacking the air around Jack; managing to hit one on accident and barely miss hitting Jack while Mysterie heads to the library quickly to see if there's anything that can help. Jack groans.

"Randy, stop, go to-" Jack drops off to sleep for the moment, but something enters his dreams. Jamie, having followed Jack, manages to catch him before he hits the floor. Jack protests as he feels all his emotions going off all at once inside him; it hurt. Jamie carries Jack to the nearest room and sets him down before entering his dreams to try and see if he can't help in some way... Jack is sitting in his dream, screaming and crying one moment then happy the next, followed by disgust and love, and then intelligence again.

"They're emotion fairies!" Jack calls out to him before anger and fear take over.

"Great... how do we get rid of the buggers?" Jamie asks as he tries swatting at them in the dream. They only giggle as he goes through them. Jack cries and screams, the blue and black colored ones were touching his mind; the others had left but these two had not. Jamie growls in frustration, seeing if maybe blasting them with a touch of darkness would knock one of them for a loop, but it didn't work as it was like they were there and at the same time not; only messing with Jack's emotions. Jack eventually wakes in pain, trying to stop screaming and crying. Jamie sighs, but there's a soft sound from the other room that seems to do the trick... it's a sound barely audible and yet the "pixie" seem drawn to the sound like bugs to lights. They gasp as they follow the sound, Jack whines and goes limp for a minute before the fairies become visible. Mysterie lures the fairies away for a moment; it was the one sound they can't resist and when they find the source of it they find themselves trapped in a special glass ball that Mysterie had to borrow from Bunny... there are half a dozen of the little things inside and only once inside are they actually completely visible. The fairies squeal and gasp as Jack coughs for air.

"You okay?" Jamie asks softly, he's a little worried. Mysterie shakes her head a little and hands off the glass ball to Bunny.

"Cheeky little buggers. Good thing I had this; down right nasty ta get rid of otherwise." 

"Yes, I appreciate it." He nods.

"Coulda swore I got 'em all after tha war ended... guess I missed a few." 

"Seems so."

"What happened Jamie?" 

"Not sure... one second..." Jamie sends the question to Mysterie who answers back.

"Um... well... Mysterie says the kids could see them but we couldn't... Something called Emotion Pixies... often referred to as Emos for short... Apparently she called Bunny who had a solution." 

"Okay." Jack replies before he goes to sleep, still in pain. Jamie sighs a little and hugs Jack protectively; Jack sleeps all night without any further disturbances. Jamie made sure that no one disturbed Jack in the morning either, having gotten rid of the door and placing a "do not disturb" sign against the wall. Jack wakes up the next morning with Jamie curled up nearby, lighting dozing; he sighs.

"God what I would give to have a normal day for once." Jamie yawns before muttering a sound of agreement. Jack turns to him, kissing his nose before standing up to slowly stretch.


	19. Parenthood

"Feel better?" Jamie mumbles around a yawn; Jack groans.

"Better than I felt last night." He replies before scratching his butt; Jamie stretches, absently pulling at a wedgie as he stands up. Jack smiles and two minutes later, at the same time, they let out gas. Jamie looks over at Jack then starts laughing a little at the absurd timing. Jack chuckle.

"Well mister-man-of-missing-door make it appear please." Jack points to the wall that had once had a door.

"Huh? Oh..." Jamie chuckles a little at that and the door reappears. Jack giggles.

"Let's prepare breakfast." Jamie nods with a smile, indicating that Jack should go first; Jack smiles and walks out the door, nearly tumbling as his feet are still asleep and there's a sign.

"Ah... sorry, should have warned you about the sign too." Jamie says sheepishly. Jack just sighs.

"It's fine." He goes to the kitchen to make breakfast while Jamie disposes of the sign. Mysterie is in the nursery with the kids while Billy is just waking up himself. Jack decides cereal, for the first time ever, for the kids; Billy walks in and stops to watch Jack.

 _Oh if only you were not married._ He says to himself, it is obvious to Mysterie and Jamie that he still wants Jack and is obvious through the faint bond. The sense of it makes Jamie a little uncomfortable while Mysterie just sends reassurance to the boy that he'll find someone some day. Billy sighs and simply sits down as Jack sets down the bowls of cereal.

"Mm... maybe a little tiny bit of sugar... oh that's right she's getting her big girl teeth, don't want to rot them out." Jack says to himself as he adds a dash of cinnamon to each of the kids' bowls. Mysterie chuckles a little as she settles in to eat. After eating himself, Jack finds himself sighing tiredly as he changes diapers, dodges quirts of urine with ease and settles them down for breakfast. Brianna eats hers and mmms at it while the boys poke at it as if it will eat them. Jack tiredly walks to his study and begins writing down the immortal address for the day care to come if he can piece together the paper work; Mysterie helps him with the paperwork once she's done with her meal while Jamie keeps the kids entertained.

"Gosh, so many papers... why can't they send a simple paper and agree to take care of them for that time?" Jack growls as he signs over forty parenting and acceptance letters to allow care for each of the children. Brianna slowly comes up to the two of her parents, she looks at them a moment before suddenly things become quicker, before Jack knows it Brianna has directed him where to sign and has whisked away the unneeded pages and checked all the correct boxes, like yes to phone calls for the child and no to the out of school times. Mysterie chuckles as she watches her young protege work with Jack.

"Definitely the smart one... wonder what her center is." 

 

 

"I think genius." Jack says as she toddles away afterwards, leaving him dumbfounded.

"Huh..." It's all Mysterie can say, equally stunned by the girl's ability at such a tender age. Jack smiles.

"Well, now that those are done now all I have to do is pay for medical care, since Mother Nature will be checking their powers every now and then." Mysterie nods thoughtfully, wondering exactly who would want what for that... Payment between spirits, after all, wasn't like with humans where money was exchanged for services. Nothing was ever quite that simple and easy. Well, they'd just worry about that after they found someone. 

"This is parenthood..." Jack whines a little and Mysterie squeezes his shoulder.

"Part of it, yes." He sniffs.

"It's so hard!! Why can't it be like back in my day where we just took care of each other and there were no rules on if you could keep a baby or not." She hugs him close.

"The world is ever changing love, I assure you this one is for the better; it might be a pain, but it's better for the children overall." He nods and sighs, signing the papers. She does her best to comfort him as she helps him out with each; familiar with some of the forms from her own childhood.

"In case of divorce sign who gets custody of child or children?!" Jack growls.

"Never in a million years would we do that!" 

"I know that, but they don't." Mysterie says with a sigh.

"If a child appears to abused we have full authority to take child into our custody..." Jack growls, nearly ripping the paper to shreds.

"Easy love." She murmurs soothingly, even the spiritual bureaucracy seems to have changed and melded with modern times. Jack sighs and signs the agreement. He shifts through more papers.

"Free coupon for clothes for babies... babysitters... No that's what we have Andrew and Billy for." After a moment he gulps.

"Keep this phone number." He remembers the last time the two had been allowed to watch the kids.

 

 

"I'll remember that. Although I think they've calmed down since that time." Mysterie replies, remembering the same incident they'd come home to. Jack nods.

"Alright." 

"Anyway, I think that was mostly because of separation anxiety... it was the first time neither you or I were there to corral them." Jack nods.

"Yeah." He leans back in the chair slowly, yawning.

"Well, better get these in the mail." She nods and he floats over to a window and sets the letters in a bag on a hook; he leaves a stick of cinnamon as well for the mail carrier as a courtesy tip. 

"Hopefully we don't have to go through parental orientation." 

"Shouldn't think so." Jack heads back to the nursery only to be tackled by his children.

"DADDIE! DADA! DAAADA!" Jack giggles.

"Yes, daddy's here." Jamie chuckles, watching them with a smile; Jack rolls over, careful of the children and starts prying them off one by one.

"Boy, it's like pulling off leeches." Jamie chuckles.

"Except if you toss off leeches they don't immediately reattach." He points out, as soon as Jack has pried one off they're clinging back again while he's trying to pry off another.

"Oh come on!" Jack shakes his legs, pulling off another and another, but they keep reattaching to him until he just gives up. Jamie laughs at this and helps pry them off Jack.

"Thank you." He says before heading off to the nearest bathroom for a quick break; Jamie chuckles and reassures them that Jack will be back when he has the chance. Once Jack returns he turns on a cartoon for the children on the TV that had been set into the wall itself to keep them from pulling it out and hurting themselves as it is eye level but just above their reach... for now. The boys seem more interested in the cartoon than Brianna who plays with a stuffed rabbit.

"She likes bunnies... Oh Bunny's gonna get a kick out of this." Jack notes, glaring at the toy. Mysterie chuckles as she comes into the room.

"Probably, but she is a girl and girls tend to like cute things, remember?" 


	20. Workshop Tour

Jack nods.

"Hey, how about we take them toy shopping? Or in this case, to the Workshop for a tour." Jack looks at Jamie with a smirk, he smirks back.

"Of course. I'm sure North will LOVE that..." Jack smiles.

"Alright, time to round up the rascals and Billy; maybe we can introduce him to North. He'll make plenty of friends there." Unnoticed by the group, Billy has been watching them, a voice in his mind speaking to him.

_"Come on, just take him. He's yours, not theirs."_

"Let's hope. North is kind of intimidating at first... Let's just hope he doesn't mind too much all of the decorations and what not. You saw his reaction to Tooth... and she's not as ... um... crowding... as North can be." Jack nods.

"Yeah, let's go get him."

"No... I shouldn't really." Billy argues quietly with himself.

"They've been so nice to me... I know they wouldn't like that..." Jamie stands up.

"Come on your four, we're going to take you to see Santa." That gets their attention quick, Jack walks out the nursery and spots Billy.

"Hey Billy, we're taking the kids to North's for a tour and so are you, come on." Jack says, walking over to him.

"Um... okay." He isn't sure he wants to go, but the kids suddenly look excited... maybe it will be fun for him too. Jack smiles.

"Alright, let's go!" He takes Billy into his arms and takes off as Jamie takes the kids by basket; the tiny voice in Billy's head speaks up.

 _"Come on, you know you want him. Look at him. Wouldn't it be nice for him to hold you like this every day?"_ Billy buries his head against Jack even as he answers the voice quietly, too quietly for Jack to hear over the wind as he didn't want Jack to think he was crazy or anything.

"Of course... but would he actually do so? I mean... the first time he even looked at me it wasn't because he chose to..." 

 _"In time he will. You just need to snip away the others to get what you want."_ Jack looks down at Billy, grinning.

 

 

"You alright there Billy?" 

"F-fine. J-just not f-fond of h-heights." Billy mutters, it's the first excuse he can come up with even as he answers the voice.

"Just how am I supposed to do that? I can't even face up to the weakest of the two..." The voice chuckles.

 _"It's all about practice and, well, some spells... as well as making Jack forget they even existed; snipping the bond should help too."_ Jack sighs.

"Sorry." The group touches down at the Workshop on a platform North had put near the meeting room just for Jack years ago and Phil, who is standing guard, looks at Jamie and then at the basket questionably until the four little heads of the brood pop into view from behind the curtain to keep them from getting too cold.

"I-it's okay." Billy murmurs, looking around. Jamie chuckles at the four as they pop their heads out before climbing out of the basket.

"I guess... but the bond... that's a hard thing to break... this is going to take time and I can't practice doing that of all things... they'd be on to me..." Billy whispers soundlessly to the voice, which seems to smile.

 _"Which is why in secret of course."_ Jack smiles at the yeti. 

"How's toy production Phil?" Jack asks as they walk inside.

"Right.... I guess... won't really have anything to practice in breaking the bond on though." Billy replies to the voice wordlessly this time as he follows Jack inside while the yeti that Jack had addressed warbled at him. Billy winces a little at all the colors that are everywhere, maybe this wasn't such a good idea... Jamie is too busy keeping the four kids from wandering off to notice. Jack smiles and calls out.

"North! Hey North! You got visitors!" 

 _"It's easy though, you cut off remembering, you cut off the bond."_ Billy nods a little at that.

"Yeah... but even when I did Jamie  **still** found him... that's the thing that worries me the most. I donno how he did that." Billy winces a little when he spots the man that Jack is talking to.

"Jack! Iz good to see you! And Jamie! And you brought little ones!" Jack smiles.

"Yeah, say hello kids." Luke looks up at North and squeals.

 

 

"FAT MAN!!" Jack gasps.

"No, no! His name is North. Say it, North." Luke giggles.

"No'th." He repeats the name while Brianna pokes North's belly, causing it to jiggle.

"Santwa cwause." She says with a smile while Randy and Noah don't say anything, though Randy seems shy while Noah is just staring.

"Hey, Bill, you alight?" Jack asks.

 _"Don't worry about Jamie. We'll be dousing Jack with a spell that gives Jamie no direction to where he is."_ Billy nods a little, both to Jack's question and to the voice. He wasn't sure why he was listening to it other than that the voice seemed familiar, soothing some how and it spoke about what he didn't have the courage to admit.

"I-it's just a l-lot to take in..." He mutters in reply, fighting against the natural urge to run and hide. This isn't the island; things here aren't dangerous just because they are colorful. Jack sighs.

"Hey, it's alright. Nothing's gonna hurt ya." Jack is close to Billy, so close that the boy could just take his lips now. Billy is sorely tempted, but he fights it off; there are others here and doing that would be a warning bell to everyone. He could wait a little longer...

"Y-yeah... I know." He manages a small smile. Jack smiles.

"Come on then, let's get you guys some cookies and hot cocoa." Jack looks at Jamie in worry as the children, Billy included, are led off.

"You sure he's gonna be okay? He's acting strangely." Jamie looks at Billy who seems uncertain around the brightness of the place but he isn't jumpy like he had been earlier with Tooth, though that was because he's distracted by the voice more than what is around him.

"Just give him time. He seems more settled than before." Jack nods. Luke, being the troublemaker he is, got into toy boxes and ruined some perfectly stacked cars.

"Paint them bwue." He says, waving one of the cars that had once been red but is now blue as is the boy's hands.

"Luke, really now. That's not up to you." Jamie chides gently, picking him up; he puts the car down and works on cleaning the boy up. Jack chuckles at the scene Luke makes. 

 _"When he is alone, asleep or something... start the process. It will work in your favor."_ Jack sighs then turns to North.

"So, North, how is production? Noticed you got some extra dolls and toys lying around and I was wondering if I could have some for my little buggers when they're old enough to play with them." 


End file.
